Drifting No More
by Blue Lone Wolf 2574
Summary: Sasuke's a drifter with a hidden past, Naruto's a cop with the NYPD. How much will their lives change when they meet? Are they doomed from the start? Or can Naruto give Sasuke a whole new life to live to the fullest? Rated T for teen to be safe. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: The Raven And The Fox

What's up people? Blue here! And I'm here to say that due to my lack of motivation but strange urge to write something new, I've finally given in to add yet another fic to my list of incompletes. Don't worry! My other fics are indeed my concern and I'm doing all I can to get the next chapter out to you guys! But for some reason my juices are headin' down the wrong river. I just hope you like what I've got down and what I may put up later on. Anyway! Definite Sasuke x Naruto in later chapters, I don't Naruto in any shape or form, but I'm dying for a Sasuke and/or Kakashi plushie!! Mini ninja cuteness!!

"Iii" speech

_Iii_ thought

Chapter 1: The Raven and The Fox

He'd been hitchhiking for… he didn't know how long anymore. Sticking your thumb out for over a month makes telling time a little fuzzy. With a dark backpack filled with pre-cleaned clothes thanks to a dry cleaners in the last town, some food and clean water in an old plastic bottle courtesy of a restaurant and its water fountain along with a skate board strapped on to act as a makeshift shield against autumn winds, Sasuke Uchiha walked along the shoulder of a deserted New York State highway. Sneakers quiet on the black tar and concrete, the twenty-one year-old man walked like a pale ghost in the late evening sun. Something deep in his mind kept trying to tell him he'd been circling the whole damn state for almost a year. Mainly since he'd nearly gone to Rochester twice after managing to hitch a ride from Buffalo.

Not that he cared that much really. Compared to a few places he'd been lately, going to Rome (an actual city in New York State. I looked this up myself) so as to follow the Erie Canal to Albany along the Hudson didn't seem like a bad idea. _If I go far enough southeast, I might reach New York City within the next two weeks. Yay. Go me._

He'd worked a few odd jobs time and again, getting as much as he could so he could go eat like any general tourist. Not that he was a tourist. Just some teen looking for a place to be for more than a week, actually feeling comfortable enough to stay, long enough to last at least two without leaving after just one month. Though he could've easily left the state, more less the country, Sasuke doubted he wanted to deal with different tax rates and Canadians trying to sell him something for twelve bucks when he could easily get it for at least six anywhere in the U.S. That and he didn't want to end up so far south to where he actually bumped into the Simpsons. Then he'd just be seeing shit. No one likes seeing oddly yellow, two-dimensional people for _any_ reason. Ignoring the chill of the September winds and taking a small swig of water, Sasuke quietly walked on, hating the fact that he'd run out of double A batteries almost a week before.

Just when he thought his luck was truly going bad, the far off sounds of a car heading his way from behind him quickly reached his now sensitive ears. As he stopped and turned around to face the oncoming vehicle, hoping his thumb wasn't too sore by now, Sasuke couldn't help but smirk as said car began to slow down. As he waited for the yellow blinker to stop winking as the car came to a stop on the side of the road, the man's thoughts had become almost…ecstatic considering his normally cool composure. _Maybe, just maybe…I'll get there a little sooner than I thought._

--_**Meanwhile, Over 200 Miles Away**_—

Busy streets filled with businessmen and women, just going about their way so they could get to work on time to sit in a boring-as-hell meeting for over an hour or just go home to see the pet they nearly forgot they had. Or to see the spouse they've been hoping to see again for whatever primal, instinctive reason they had. Love, maybe even lust, whichever it one it was, it made them feel human. It made them feel real. Alive and full of man's most prized components, bits and pieces fitted together to create an individual capable of emotion and free thought. A dream they hoped to whatever god or goddess they worshipped that it came true every time they met with said spouses.

Such regularity and almost boring routine was broken by the squeal of rubber on age old tar, the protest of car brakes and shocks as an obviously stolen car, busted window and all, came roaring around a street corner, zipping in and out of lanes as the desperado did his best to avoid crashing. All the while getting rid of the crazy-as-hell cop on his heels. Whom of which, was driving just as recklessly as he was. And the poor brunette in the passengers seat was trying to keep his cool.

"Shit! Fuck man! Are you tryin' to get us killed?!" he yelled right into his driver's ear, his almost clawed hands gripping the dashboard and the passenger door, even the ceiling, to avoid getting thrown in some wild and crazy angle.

Without even taking his eyes off the road, the driver managed to give the brunette a good swack on the shoulder. "No! I'm tryin' to do my job 'man'! Now quit whinin' and see if you can't take out a wheel."

"His or ours?" Was the inquiry, the brunette desperately trying not to laugh as if he'd gone completely nuts.

If he was joking or not, either way it didn't sit well with his partner who rightfully snapped in frustration. "His you wise ass!"

"Fine! Crazy drivin' fuck!" he grumbled as he shifted in his seat.

Rolling down his window and somehow managing to get his firearm in hand, Kiba Inuzuka did his best to take aim at one of the runaway car's wheels, all the while trying to make sure he didn't shoot someone on the sidewalk. Closing one eye and making the other follow the barrel for precision, the brunette tried to calculate his odds of actually hitting the damn thing.

"It's now or never Kiba!" the driver warned, hoping his partner was aiming well before their perp decided to take a turn.

"Workin' on it!" was all the man said as he ignored the wind in his face, holding the gun as steady as humanly possible.

"Hurry up!" the driver called from inside the car, nearly having to swerve almost violently to avoid hitting a small, practically decrepit wreck of a sedan that looked far too old to be on the road.

Without much more prompting, the brunette finally decided to pull the trigger, letting the .9 mm round fly headlong into the rubber exterior of a tire spinning at almost seventy miles per hour. Instant hole via cop gunshot from behind. A rather interesting way for a tire to meet its end rather than running over some glass on the edge of the road on a highway somewhere. In other words, that tire was shot, literally, into uselessness. Rubber pieces tore apart and scattered all over the place, the cop driving forced to swerve considerably to avoid said pieces from going up under his own tires, as well as his engine for that matter.

Just as soon as the right back tire was gone, the runaway car screeched on its now naked metal axis, causing it to swerve before crunching into the side of a Nissan Ultima (such a nice car. A real shame right?). Not even missing a beat, both the driver and passenger in the cop car clicked off their safety belts, whipped out their guns as their doors popped open and aimed right at the driver's door of the getaway vehicle. Kiba didn't hesitate to follow protocol.

"COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"

The driver followed suit, keeping a sharp eye on the window of the car. "COME OUT NOW! ON THE GROUND WITH YOUR HANDS OVER YOU'RE HEAD!"

This loud encouragement to obey law enforcement officers seemed to fall on deaf ears as the car jacker quickly scrambled to the other side of the car, opened the passenger's side door, nearly broke his nose on the concrete before standing up, firing a few not so well aimed shots at the cop car just before he made a run for it. Luckily the perp had extremely poor aim to where he only put a dent in the front hood, nearly hit one of the tires and made a small crack in the middle of the windshield. Obviously his smart genes were turned off, very much like the safety on his .45 magnum wasn't.

Cursing under his breathe and quickly putting the gun away for the moment, the driver tossed the keys at his partner as he slammed his door, expertly making chase. He was perfectly healthy mind you. Did plenty of sports in high school and had completed all his needed schoolwork in the police academy in less than two years. A true record in his mind, as well as that of the New York police department, obviously record enough to hire him right off the bat. So compared to all that, a minor chase was nothing compared to what this guy had accomplished. Unlike most alleged cops around the country, this particular officer enjoyed the occasional donut or strudel should the occasion allow it. But normally, eating healthy and exercising a bit before and after work had proven to be the downfall of many anxious ladies. He appreciated their rather enthusiastic attention, but he was a bit sheepish to tell them he was bi.

Seeing his prey was moving a little too far out of his sight, the cop quickly forced his legs to go faster as he weaved through the crowds, loudly calling out his authority so people would move out of the way sooner. Just when he thought the guy would disappear around a street corner, Kiba came to his rescue by suddenly appearing, not caring that the cop car bounced over the curb to block the man's path. He also got out in time to help his partner tackle and cuff him as he tried to wiggle his way out of their grip.

"You're under arrest for car theft, illegal possession and use of a firearm, attempted assault of a police officer, evasion and resisting arrest. You've the right to remain silent while anything and everything you say from hereon out will be held against you in a court of law. Do you understand what I'm telling you?" The cop panted as he and Kiba brought the man off the cold concrete in time to nearly get spit on. Something he nearly decided to punch the guys' teeth out for.

"You okay?" the brunette inquired, watching his rather tired partner lean against the passenger side of the car after stuffing their latest catch into the backseat.

The man nodded, looking a little sweaty but smiling. "Yeah… It's been a while since I've had to run like that. Thanks man."

Kiba just smiled back, patting the hood of their car. "Hey anytime. C'mon. We gotta go book this guy."

"What about the car?" his partner inquired, the almost foolish grin never leaving his face mostly due to the late afternoon sun being in his eyes, making him squint.

"Ours or the one he stole?" Kiba asked in a mockingly stupid voice, making his partner bristle anyway.

"The one he stole you dog brained idiot!" he snapped even as Kiba tried not to laugh his ass off at the man's reaction.

"I already called ahead. Another unit's got that covered."

His partner nodded, approving of this action, the grin returning to his sun kissed ten fold. "Alrighty. Let's go."

"You got it man. You wanna drive?" Kiba asked as they both took their respective seats in the front of the car.

The man just shook his head, rubbing his eyes. "No. You drive. I'm done for the day. Maybe next shift."

"Have it your way Uzumaki." The dog man said with a smirk, knowing full well that the blonde was pooped.

And thus ended a well served day in Naruto Uzumaki's shoes, almost twenty-one but already fully integrated with his fellow boys in blue in the big apple. Unlike his brunette partner, Naruto had hair practically the color of the sun, summer sky blue eyes and skin tan enough to suggest he'd been to Florida a time or two. As much as he liked surf and sun, Naruto wasn't much for traveling out of state that much. Only unless his boss actually ordered him to take a day off from catching car thieves and dealing with abusive drunks hell-bent on dishing their anger out on him. A rare but true occurrence, since he was a bit too dedicated to his job. No, Naruto Uzumaki had been born in New York and felt damned if he had to leave for some strange or mysterious but apparently stupid (in his way of thinking) reason that gave him reason enough to say no.

He liked it when he got time off between shifts, relaxing in front of his desk as he finished paperwork he knew he was supposed to finish an hour before. But something in the recesses of his mind made him feel that taking a day off or a week long vacation was like slacking off a bit too much. He had bills to pay god dammit! Ignoring such things for the moment, said blonde gave their new passenger a tired smile.

"You gave me quite a run out there man! I'm surprised you didn't join the Olympic track team or somethin'." He said in slight amusement, his breathing still coming in slight pants even though he was in a well-aired cop car.

In response, the man grumbled something angrily at him through the little cage separating the front from the back. Curious, Naruto's expression furrowed to a scowl at the man in question. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I said FUCK YOU MAN!" the man roared viciously at the blonde, his skinny face turning red from unexpressed rage. Naruto only blinked, his scowl growing deeper and almost sinister as he spoke.

"Sir, if I were you, I'd keep it down. Feel lucky I didn't have my friend here shoot you in the back for your little stunt. My suggestion would be to keep quiet." He said in a tone so low, it was a wonder the man heard him over all the loud traffic just beyond the thin layer of glass.

At the mere sight of the blonde's angered face, the man had paled considerably as he leaned back into the seat, almost sliding down to avoid the pair of smoldering blue eyes promising a gruesome death if he didn't keep his mouth shut. Kiba tried not to snicker as he calmly took a right turn at a corner, taking a more composed approach to driving their car back to the station. Looking up at the windshield, the brunette made a slight whistle at how far the crack went down the middle of the glass sheet.

"Damn. Kakashi's gonna have a fuckin' fit when he sees this!" he said almost under his breath as he returned his attention to the road ahead.

Naruto just shook his head, almost too tired to think, his adrenaline levels falling faster than he thought. "No he won't. At least… not until he sees the tape showing the idiot in the back trying to shoot at us with the intent of wounding or killing us."

The brunette nodded in agreement, taking in his partner's logic. "That's very true but he still won't be happy. I'm tellin' ya."

Getting frustrated now, Naruto just glared at the dog man. "But I'm telling you that it'll be okay. Okay?"

Kiba was nodding again, smirking as he spoke. "O-okay. If you say so man. Okey dokey."

Naruto's reaction was immediate. "Say that again and I'll punch your damn lights out."

"You wouldn't." the brunette said in an almost mockingly childish voice.

"Try me." He growled, annoyed that his friend's means of annoying him was working a bit too well for his liking.

"Okey dokey." Kiba said again, this time in a whisper to where Naruto almost didn't catch it. But it was enough for the blonde to scowl and punch the brunette in the shoulder as he started cracking up. Lucky for Kiba, they'd already reached the station when the blonde punched him, thankfully not too hard, but hard enough to bruise for a while.

Since he was closest, Kiba chose to be the one to get their now cooperative car thief out of the backseat before turning the man towards the front doors. Within less than a minute, the two cops had their latest catch sitting in a chair with his hands still cuffed behind his back as Naruto mundanely went through the required questions, filling each box out accordingly as Kiba headed for the break room so he could get them both some coffee before it either burnt or got cold. After a minute or two, the blonde had quite easily gotten another officer to escort to the holding cells in the back. With a sigh, Naruto took to rubbing his eyes again as he finished the worksheet before putting it in the 'out' box on his desk. Just in time for Kiba to return from the break room.

"Here ya go man." The dog man said with a smile, handing the blonde the thin cardboard cup.

Naruto nodded, taking the coffee from his partner in justice. "Thanks. Much obliged."

"Your welcome. You seen that one chick from the paramedic unit? What's her name… Hinata?" Kiba inquired over the edge of his own cup.

The blonde paused, the cup almost to his lips as his sky blue eyes clouded with thought as he stared off at nothing. "I think I've seen her around once or twice." the eyes quickly turned on the brunette, instantly suspicious of the man's intentions. "Why? You tryin' to hook me up again?"

Surprised, Kiba just blinked before scoffing. "What? No!"

But Naruto still doubted his friends' words. "'Cause if you are… what happened with Sakura should be proof that you need to stop tryin' to get me with somebody."

"Dude! I've been with ya long enough to know that, despite your bein' bi, that you've more taste towards dudes than chicks so will you chill? Sheesh. Just tryin' to make conversation here!" the brunette growled in frustration, finally taking a sip of his coffee, fully aware of Naruto's suspicious look.

"If you say so." The blonde grumbling finally letting his tongue be engulfed in the dark brew, savoring its flavor as if it were the elixir of life.

Sensing a challenge, Kiba pressed on. "I do say so! Fuck man you gotta get with somebody _sometime_ in your life! Why not Hinata?"

"Because I know her cousin and he's a pissy bastard. Besides, she looks more your type anyway." Naruto said, smirking as he started skimming over another sheet of paperwork that he was supposed to finish nearly two hours before.

Kiba blinked again, astonished at the blonde's peculiar response. "Really? 'Cause that's what I was gonna ask you before you startin' bitchin' at me over my attempts to hook you up."

Naruto could only roll his eyes as he let out a tired sigh. "Yeah well, your attempts are meager, desperate and poor. That and I highly doubt there's anyone in the whole city of New York meant for me at this point. You might've scared 'em all off just so you'd get 'em to meet with me."

The brunette threw up his hands, hoping his words were getting through to his friend and partner. "Oh c'mon man! Give me some credit here! At least I'm trying! Unlike you!"

"That's because the only thing about my high school years that didn't suck was when I won a game or kicked ass at a track meet. Other than that I was treated like dirt, by _both_ genders of the student body." Naruto said calmly, not looking up from the sheet in front of him before pulling up another one.

Kiba had fallen silent, having winced at the blonde's words. "Ouch. Sorry man."

"Not your fault. Things didn't lighten up until the academy." Was the calm reply from the man's desk, the sound of sheets being moved somehow overshadowing all the other noises of the large office room.

"Where I met you." The dog man said with a toothy grin.

Smiling, Naruto nodded, looking up from his work to look the other right in the eye. "Yup. I still think it's awesome how we died the mash potatoes in the cafeteria that nasty booger green. Remember?"

Kiba could only laugh, almost slapping his knee in amusement. "Hell yeah! Was that before or after we unscrewed all those desks just to see the new guys fall to the floor for kicks?"

Looking thoughtful, Naruto tapped his chin with the end of his pen. "I think it was after that, but then again… it could be after the time you tried to stick buckets of water over nearly every classroom door."

The brunette nodded sagely, obviously impressed with his performing the old trick. "Classic. What'd you use?"

"I went easy and used chalkboard erasers. Those things are seriously dusty after a while." Naruto could only say with a fox-like grin on his face.

"Tell me about it." Kiba said, chuckling from his own desk as he got down to his own late paperwork.

--_**Meanwhile, In Northwestern New York**_—

It'd been a long ride but it'd been worth the wait. Knowing he had enough cash to get him on a boat heading downstream towards the ocean along the Erie Canal, Sasuke smirked to himself in the early morning light of how lucky he'd been so far. He'd already managed to snag himself a ticket and only had to wait for the ferry to come to the port like all the other tourists excitedly awaiting to see themselves in history brought to life by modern means and age old ideas. The family that'd been nice enough to get him off the highway had been on vacation to see relatives in Cortland and were on their way back t Connecticut, enjoying the scenery when they'd spotted him.

Of course the wife of the family had protested but then man was courteous and ignored his spouse as he'd pulled the car over to see if the raven haired man was a local or not. To be frank, the conversation went like this:

"Hey there." The man said, smiling kindly as Sasuke stood firmly, stoic and unmoving as he let the stranger approach.

"… Hi." Was all he said after a moment.

Looking around as if a bit nervous, the man did his best to look him right in the eyes. "You from around here?"

Sasuke shook his head, expression unchanging as he spoke. "Nope. Headin' northeast though. You?"

"On a trip and we're headin' home too. Want to get in?" he said, the smile returning to its kind glory only to be ruined by the woman in the passenger's seat as she stuck her head out the window.

"Darren! Get back in the car!" she snapped, looking tired and obviously hungry by the way her eyes flashed.

Turning around to face her, the man gently scolded her. "It's okay Ellen! He doesn't look dangerous."

"He does to me now get back here!" she growled crossly as her head disappeared back into the car.

Turning back to face the raven, the man's smile had become apologetic in nature but still held the kindness of a good-hearted man. "Sorry about her. She's just testy from being in the car for so long. Do you need a ride?"

Sasuke only shrugged at the question. "Don't know. You got room in there?"

Darren smiled approvingly, as if amused by the inquiry. "I'm sure we do. Hope you don't mind the kids."

"As long as they don't try anything gross." He grumbled as he finally approached the back of the car as the man put the key in to open the trunk.

"From my perspective, that would be a miracle." Darren almost whispered to himself as he let the raven put his bag in with all the other luggage, making sure it wouldn't hinder the door when it closed.

"If you can't, I'll make sure they don't." the calm reply actually surprised Darren, making him blink as if he'd been slapped.

"That I'd like to see." He said, his voice showing his amazement at the raven's confidence in handling children.

"That you will." Sasuke didn't say much after that.

The family had been nice, the kids having actually refrained from throwing their toys at his head or trying to stick their newly picked boogers into his hair. Ellen, still fuming in the front passenger's seat, had to be the main person out of the whole car to actually stare at him as if he was something from a bad memory. Her scowls and constant bombardment of Darren's decision to let him into the car in the first place filled their end of the car like a dark cloud getting ready to rain down on them like nasty storm. Of course, Sasuke said nothing to the woman for the first two hours into the drive towards the next pit stop.

Sasuke's almost solemn promise about keeping the children in check proved to be a shock and a godsend to Darren and Ellen. Their eldest son of eleven, Michael, their second eldest at nine, Lori, and their third going on six, Nola, had each proven to be very cooperative with the raven-haired man. Michael, like his mother, had stared at him the most, almost gawking at how truly birdlike his hair was. Lori just seemed more interested in the book she had while Nola seemed fascinated with Sasuke's night black eyes. He was used to this since it was normal for girls, of any age, to be amazed or enchanted by his features, no matter how foreign they were. The son kept himself busy with his Nintendo handheld while Nola had a coloring book on a small attachable tray with at least ten basic colors within her reach.

Lucky for Sasuke, none of these colors were ink. Much to his relief, they were just crayons, but could still cause a mess if left in the sun too long. No one likes cleaning that up unless they have candles in mind. Upon reaching the pit stop, a small restaurant with a gas station not far off to the side, Darren chose a parking spot and looked back at them all with a smile.

"Okay guys! Dinner time!"

This was met by happy exclamations, Lori dog-earing her page while Michael took steps to save his game. Nola had accidentally tossed a crayon at Sasuke's head from where she sat in the middle seat, the small pencil thin coloring utensil flying back to hit the man in the forehead. He didn't even flinch, much less blink as he skillfully caught the thing in midair before it could even touch his pale skin. All had seen the move and could only stare in wonder as he calmly handed the crayon back to the little girl in silence.

She took it, her mouth open wide in her own childish way. Sasuke didn't say a word as he waited for everyone else to exit the car, noting that Ellen was still eyeing him suspiciously as she led her three children towards the small diner. Unlike them, Sasuke headed straight for the gas station. Darren, as if on cue, was instantly intrigued by this move.

"You're not going to join us?" he inquired, obviously confused by the raven-haired man's actions.

"…Need a few things. I'll meet you inside." Sasuke said as he calmly strolled over the pavement towards the glass door of the roadside mini mart.

Darren nodded in understanding. "Oh okay. Do you have enough for what you need?"

Pausing to think this question over, Sasuke nodded without turning around to face the other man. "Yeah. See you in a minute."

"O-okay." and he thankfully left it at that as he went to follow his family inside the diner, holding the door open so they could enter first.

Once inside, Sasuke instantly noticed how warm it was compared to the chilly air outside the glass walls. Instantly skimming over the aisles from where he stood, he was inwardly pleased to see they had plenty of double A batteries in stock. Picking up a shopping basket, the raven-haired man decided to grab a few other things first. A few packets of #2 pencils, a notebook or two for the hell of it and some health bars for whenever he got famished somewhere along the line of their trip to the Erie Canal. Before he went to the counter, he easily picked up three large packets of double A batteries, placing them in the basket and walking over to the register. The man standing there was reading a car magazine, most likely with a Playboy hidden behind it, almost instantly put it down to run the codes under the scanner. Sasuke listened to the piece of junk register beep and whiz as he found a twenty dollar bill in his wallet, being sure to keep the man from seeing what else he had in there. Just to be on the safe side.

The man put the items into a bag and accepted the twenty, looking a bit surprised at how clean and crisp it was but he said nothing. He simply punched a few keys, made the register open, and switched the twenty for several dollars in bills and change so he could hand them over to Sasuke. The raven nodded as the man did the whole 'have a nice day' routine before picking the magazine up once again and sticking his nose right back in it. Definitely porn, or something of that degree where the man was fairly eager to pick up where he left off.

Deeming this as normal, Sasuke headed out the door and stuffed his new purchases into the far back seat, where Darren had put him, before heading over the diner's own glass window of a door. Though coming into the place to find it peaceful, full of other customers with soft 50's music playing in the background was what Sasuke expected to find, what he found was something a little far from it. For Darren, in his normally kind nature to avoid violence like any good man would, was now almost knee deep in trouble. It was fairly obvious the large man now facing Darren in a rather flashy show of anger was indeed quite drunk, making Darren's ability to reason with him almost impossible compared to what Sasuke had experienced so far.

And as hard as Darren tried, the large, drunk as hell man proved to be deaf to his pleas to resolve the matter with words rather than fists.

"Now I don't know what I've done to offend you but if you'd please--." Darren was saying just as Sasuke walked through the door, one or two fellow customers looking away, saw him, and then looked back with fearful faces. It obviously wasn't the first time this man had been drunk, and most certainly not the first time to pick fights with innocent and unsuspecting travelers.

"I dun't need yur damm excusez! C'mon an' fight me like da man you are!" pure drunkenness slurred his already strange accent, proving not only by said accent, but by his clothes and large girth, he was a Texan. A Texan, drunk enough to cause unwanted problems for innocent people who were unfortunate enough to get in his way.

But Darren was determined to talk the man out of a brawl. Certainly something he didn't want his family of four to witness. "Sir, please. I don't know what you're talking about! Maybe if you just sat down for a minute then we--."

Sadly, his words fell on deaf ears. "Shtop tryin' ta weezil outta dis! Yur gonna fight me if itz the last thang I do!"

Letting his old skills kick into gear, Sasuke was between Darren and the Texan drunk within seconds, using a powerful side kick to send the man stumbling backwards to where he almost fell over. A bit surprised at this, the drunk blinked sluggishly, saw Sasuke, and charged almost like a bull.

"Get back." The raven ordered, catching Darren, Ellen and others by surprise.

"But--!" he started to say before Sasuke cut him off.

"Get back!" he yelled just as he leaped and spun, his leg coming around for a round house kick, getting the drunk right in the ear. This almost made him come crashing down on a booth table but he somehow managed to maintain his balance enough to only land on his ass. Going red in the face with obviously mounting rage, the Texan rose again from the floor with his hands straight out and ready to grab Sasuke's pale neck.

He never got the chance to do even that. Blocking the hands as if they were nothing more than flies in his face, Sasuke brought his right hand flying forward to get the Texan drunk square in the nose. The punch was powerful enough to send the man stumbling so far backwards, he bumped into the jukebox before slumping to the floor with his face nothing more than a bloody mess. Silence filled the room, both customers and waitresses staring in shock that a single man had downed a large southerner as if he were nothing but a leaf in the wind. Only then noticing the pain in both his foot and his hand, Sasuke turned towards the nearest waitress as he shook his right hand a little.

"Got any ice?"

--_**In New York**_—

Within an hour of returning to the office, Naruto and Kiba found themselves back on the streets with a replacement car while their own got a new windshield. Both had been right about their boss, Hatake Kakashi, being angry about what'd happened to their car. But his rage was swayed by the dash cam footage retrieved from the video system a good half hour beforehand. Looking bored by the look in his half moon eye, the other hidden by a wave of silver hair, Kakashi merely waved them out of his office as he mumbled something about having them take a different car until their old one came back from the shop.

After being out for almost forty minutes, the two had already dealt with at least seven to eight drunks stumbling home, a pissy hooker and a few bar brawls that nearly had Kiba coming close to a bigger mouth and Naruto to lose his left eye. Thankfully a few other units came to their rescue before the two men could get too bruised up, only walking away with a scratch or two. A strange way to end the night, but it was better than getting shot at. Having gone back to the station and changed back into civilian clothes, Kiba said his goodbyes as he headed for his jeep while Naruto weaved through the cars for his midnight blue Mustang model T (my dream car).

Mere minutes later, the blonde was cruising through dark city streets under the constant glare of street lights, late night traffic and a beautiful moon doing the car's dark and mysterious color glorious justice. With the radio down low and his window open as he let the cool wind act almost as calming incense, Naruto Uzumaki drove to his loft apartment in a leisurely fashion that always helped him forget of the long day behind him before having to deal with the long day to come. Closing said window and locking his car after parking where he'd been parking for two years, the blonde entered his apartment building to take a slow but expected elevator ride towards the top floor.

His apartment building, only ten stories high and at least three or four apartments for each floor, Naruto was lucky to have chosen the one that faced the Brooklyn bridge that stretched over the river like a mini Notre Dame of wire, stone, and lights. A truly wondrous sight if the weather had the right temperament at the right time of day. One of the many things Naruto couldn't help but feel thankful that his luck had finally turned away from the worst. Putting his jacket on the coat rack next to his door, his keys on the small table under it and slipping off his shoes, Naruto felt tempted to just fall onto his couch and stay there til morning. _Of course, the last time I did that, I woke up with a sore back and my head threatening to hit the floor._

Ignoring his personal embarrassment and the memories that came with it, the blonde just headed for his island style kitchen to cook up something, _anything_, that would quench his hunger until breakfast. After thirty minutes of waiting, Naruto had finished digging into the lasagna that Sakura had forced on him the day before. Mainly because she knew the only thing he ever ate, ever, had been ramen and chose not to let such a habit continue despite it being one of the fastest meals to make. He remembered protesting, saying that he'd done just fine eating it so far since he never ate the same two flavors in the same week. That and he distinctly remembered telling the pink haired demon girl that he'd even mixed in cooked meats that he'd chopped into bite size pieces to add more flavor and filling to his ramen dishes. Of course, she didn't believe him with that one either.

So, he had no real choice but to accept what his friend gave him to munch on when not on duty or at home with some time to spare before bed. Thinking about it now, Naruto was actually glad he'd caved. _Now I don't have to cook that often! _He thought happily as he quickly took to cleaning up any kind of mess he might've made. Before getting into his hot shower, the blonde made sure to set out another set of clothes for the next day incase he woke up later than he should've. Tossing his dirty clothes into a laundry hamper, the blonde stepped tenderly into the hot spray of water.

Refreshed, clean and already feeling the day's weariness kicking in, Naruto barely managed to slip on a clean pair of boxers and sleep pants in his obvious state of pre-sleep sluggishness before slipping under his sheets and drifting away into unconsciousness with a foolish smile on his face.

--_**Meanwhile, In The Northwest, Some Hours Earlier**_—

Wincing at the slight sting of freezing cold ice cubes in a bucket meeting almost burning hot skin, Sasuke managed to keep his expression blank as he waited at one of the cleared tables for his food to arrive. His foot in one bucket while his hand was in another, the raven haired man could only think that the drunk he'd taken down might've have been made of stone rather than flesh and bone. And his limbs were paying the price. Not that he minded that much, but it still hurt like hell. The Texan drunk had been carted away by a state trooper called to the scene, leading the big behemoth as he sobbed through a bloody but obviously broken nose. Much to his relief, Darren's kids were in a different booth than him so they couldn't bombard him with questions.

As Ellen and Darren sat across from him in the booth, all three sitting in silence, Sasuke had taken to staring out the window, ignoring the couple staring at him with a curiosity he'd become accustomed to. Just when he thought they'd finally ask him their own questions, one of the waitresses came over with their plates. She gave the couple a slight smile of kindness, but gave Sasuke a half curious, half enchanted stare before forcing herself to walk away. Once the woman was gone and out of earshot, right before he could touch his food, Ellen spoke up first.

"Where did you learn to do that?" her voice was sharp and clear, meaning she meant business. Sasuke didn't even blink.

"School. College mainly." He said with a shrug, utilizing his left hand to make use of the fork rolled up in the napkin.

"You didn't have to do that you know." Darren said calmly, looking a bit unnerved that Sasuke had yet to react to what'd just happened to them.

"If I hadn't, you'd be in the hospital." The raven-haired man reasoned between bites, chewing and swallowing in a surprisingly calm pace. Something no one had really seen any drifter do.

"But you wouldn't have your hand and foot on ice." He shot back, almost anxious to get some kind of emotional response out of the raven.

No luck for Sasuke just shrugged. "Minor problem. I've had worse."

Ellen actually blinked at this, instantly curious. "Really? Like what?"

"You don't want to know." These words almost made the couple pale in horror before Sasuke quickly added. "Not that kind of bad but…somewhat worse than this."

This instantly brought relief to the couple. After that, they all ate in complete silence, business seeming to go on as usual before the drunk vs. traveler showdown had taken place. When Sasuke finished, he merely pushed his plate away and rested his head on his arm, shutting away the rest of the world with just his eyelids. It wasn't until what felt like mere minutes later than he felt a warm hand shaking him back to reality, making him peel his eyes open to find a concerned looking Darren staring down at him.

"What's happenin'?" he half mumbled, his mind and voice thick with an unexpected sleepiness.

Darren's expression furrowed with concern, hoping he could keep the raven's attention long enough to ask. "Are you okay? We're about to leave."

It took him a moment but the memory came rushing back nonetheless. "Oh. Right, right. Gimme a sec." He said, stretching his now aching limbs.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Darren inquired again, taking one of Sasuke's left arm so as to help him out of the booth.

Sasuke could only nod as he nearly stumbled when he came to stand on open tile flooring, noticing the clock on the wall had turned at least forty minutes forward. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Didn't think I'd doze off like that."

"Can you make to the car?" Ellen inquired from somewhere to his far right, where he knew the front door was located.

Sasuke just scoffed, managing to find her in his sleepy haze to growl in an obviously fatigued fashion. "Lady, I've been walking for over two weeks. Going another twenty or so feet won't kill me. Just tired."

If Ellen said anything in response, he didn't hear it as he let Darren walk him out the door and towards the awaiting car. The air was crisp and felt like a splash of cold water on Sasuke's pale skin before he edged his way into the cocoon of warmth that was the backseat. Finding a comfortable position on his side, using his extra pullover from his bag as a pillow, Sasuke fell asleep for the second time that evening.

He didn't wake up until the next afternoon when the family made another pit stop for lunch, the second one for that day according to them. Ellen proved to be more tolerant than the day before, since she'd been the one to wake him up. Sasuke distinctly remembered the strange glint in her eye when he finally peeled his open in question.

"Awake yet?" she asked softly as the raven rubbed his eyes with his left since his right had fallen asleep somehow. Mainly since he'd fallen asleep on top of it.

_Stupid. I'm so fucking stupid._ He thought to himself in frustration as he gave the woman a weary look. "Dunno. What time is it?"

For once, Ellen seemed sheepish through his still hazy vision. "Going on one in the afternoon. You were out for quite a while. We…I figured you'd be hungry now that we've stopped again."

"Again?" he asked, feeling a bit moronic to ask but it seemed like a pretty valid question to him.

The sheepish expression didn't change, but it did deepen. "You missed breakfast and we couldn't get you up. How's your hand and foot?"

Blinking at this inquiry, Sasuke decided to move said limbs. They both seemed to ache but were usable. "I'm fine. Still a little sore though."

"Can you walk? Or will it kill you?" she inquired, looking almost amused at her own jibe at his past words.

This time, he didn't blink, giving the woman a weak glare from where he lay on the seat. "Haha. Very funny."

Ellen could only laugh at his expression before she got up and pulled the lever so the seat in front would move to let him out. "C'mon then."

Feeling stiff as hell but better than most days, Sasuke forced himself to sit up and exit the car so he could eat for the first time in hours. Like every man should, he opened the door for Ellen, making sure she was clear before entering himself. Within seconds, he found himself seated next to Darren while Ellen and two of the three kids sat on the opposite side of the booth. And once again, he was greeted by the man's warm smile. The raven just gave him the ghost of a smirk in response. It wasn't long before a waitress came up asking. "Coffee?"

"Please." He said, hoping the roughness in his voice was gone. Thankfully, it was as the woman poured the dark brew into the mug set before him before walking away, leaving the group to their business.

The meal went peacefully, no large or disoriented drunks, and no nasty looks from Ellen or anyone else there. A calm, quiet hour of metal clinking or scraping against porcelain dishes with Ellen and Darren having to ensure their three little ones didn't leave a huge mess in their wake for when they left. Something that made Sasuke fell very out of place amongst them. But, like them, he said nothing.

This continued the rest of the way to the river, where Sasuke snagged a ticket for the ferry to the Hudson while the family turned in the rented SUV so as to prepare for a preplanned flight to Connecticut. According to Darren, this saved them money. Sasuke didn't doubt him. He had no real reason to doubt much of anything the man said at this point. So, standing there as a group at the docks, Darren and his family stood with the raven haired man as the crowd of excited tourists gathered almost like a flock of sheep at the ramp.

Darren looked reluctant but smiled kindly nonetheless. "This is goodbye I guess."

"That it is." Sasuke said calmly after a moment.

"Will we be seeing you again?" he inquired, the question in itself a bit childish but seemed to have some reasonable validity.

Sasuke only shook his head. "Doubt it. Be amazed if we did though. Bye."

Just as he was walking off, Ellen's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Wait!"

He stood still, almost like a statue, his back turned toward the family of five who'd been the some of the first to show some kind of compassion to him. "We never got your name."

Even though they couldn't see his face, he still blinked in shock. It'd been a while since he'd dropped his name off to people. Almost like forever. He'd been going around anonymously for so long, this little ritual of formality had become so foreign to him, that he'd nearly forgotten about it entirely. Without turning around, to even just glance at them in any way or form, Sasuke finally broke his personal tradition.

"My name… is Sasuke."

And without another word to them or anyone else, Sasuke Uchiha had vanished without a trace into the crowd of color and sound, his dark clothes and gear somehow becoming lost. Even with this minor change, little did he know that his life was going to change in at least three days time. A change that he'd never be able to reverse, no matter what he might try to do to make such a thing possible.

Finally finished! Longer than most first chapters but I wanted this one to be memorable. And proving to any and all just how bored I am right now but I'm over it. No matter. Life goes on right? Right! Thankfully there're no notes to speak of but if anyone has questions for me, go ahead and ask them in reviews or messages. Anonymous reviews are now being accepted since I've come to feel that most of you are just downright critics that are too self-righteous to tell me how much I suck. I'm okay with that. On with the preview!

Next chapter:

Chapter 2: The Cop & The Drifter: Two Paths Meet

Naruto and Kiba seem to have a good friendship goin' on. Will Sasuke's arrival destroy their seemingly never-ending streak of good luck? And why is our favorite Uchiha doing by traveling all over New York State? Will I tell you? You can damn well doubt it! Find out when I come back with the latest chapter for '_Drifting No More_' in:

_**Chapter 2: The Cop & The Drifter: Two Paths Meet!!**_


	2. Chapter 2: The Cop & The Drifter

Welcome back readers! It seems '_Drifting No More_' s a smash hit! Just hours after its debut, I find that it's already received 2 review but 32 hits! That's recipe for success to me don't you think? So to be frank, this next chapter should be just as satisfying to the readers who were nice enough to choose this fic as an instant favorite! I don't own Naruto in any shape or form. Even though getting a Sasuke plushie would be the best thing to happen to me in a long time! Read, review, but best of all, ENJOY!

"Iii" speech

"_Iii_" radio speech

_Iii_ thought

Chapter 2: The Cop & The Drifter: Two Paths Meet

The ocean was the most beautiful in the evening or in the morning. Since it was the crack of dawn, one couldn't argue that the sight before Sasuke's eyes wasn't the most memorable. After being on a ferry for almost four days, he was actually glad to be staring at the ocean than mountains and hills. Lucky for him, if he fell in, he could easily swim back to shore. His parents hadn't made him take those swimming classes as a kid in middle school for nothing. Looking away from the golden sight on the horizon, Sasuke gazed almost in awe at the tall buildings that literally appeared to be scraping the sky as their names suggested. Finding a place was probably going to be hard. Especially when he had almost a million people to compete with.

His journey down the two rivers had been absolutely dull, having been bothered by annoying kids, pissy adults and birds that kept on trying to use him as target practice for high class cars. Though he'd avoided these bombs, a baby with an upset stomach proved even harder than the birds. Lucky, he managed to jump out of the way, stuff and all, before any of it got on him or his things. Though the baby's mother apologized to him about it over and over, Sasuke's grumpy glare didn't waver as he went elsewhere for a much safer place to sit. The woman did her best to avoid him after that.

Sasuke had a relaxing ride after that, enjoying the cool sea breeze against his pale skin as the boat finally came into the port. Getting off was a cinch as he melded with the rest of the crowd, slowly but casually making his way towards dry land. Avoiding the crowd of tourists like the plague, Sasuke found a decent sidewalk, making sure no one spotted him before vanishing like a ghost in the busy mass of people rushing off to do their daily business. Once onto one of the bigger streets where more people began to gather on their way to their workplaces and offices, the raven began to navigate the busy streets of the Big Apple in search of an Internet café.

--_**Meanwhile, A Few Streets Over**_—

Normally, Naruto would be in a considerably good mood. But lately, things had been turning bad again. Not exactly surprising in the blonde's mind, but it was still enough to foul his mood for a day. All considering he'd just tackled a rather monstrous pile of paperwork earlier that morning before having to tackle a purse-snatcher while on his way back to the car from a coffee shop, resulting in spilt coffee and his rather nasty temper getting worse by the second. Kiba decided to get them new coffee after that little incident. To be frank, Naruto wasn't having the best of days.

And the mere fact that the blonde was acting dangerously miffed about how his day was going lately was putting Kiba on edge, trying not to look at him as he drove through the now bustling streets of New York. A moment or two passed before the brunette finally spoke up, daring to voice his concern for his partner.

"You doin' okay there Naruto?" he inquired into the silence, taking a glance at the blonde man scowling out the passenger's side window.

The scowl deepened. "I'm fine." He growled as he kept his focus on the people on the sidewalk.

Kiba shook his head, turning the wheel as they turned onto another street on their patrol route. "Not to me you're not. What's happenin'?"

Naruto finally turned his angry gaze at the brunette, the full force of the look burning into his skin like a sun lamp on high. "Other than having to do a shit load of paperwork and nearly getting drenched with hot coffee? Nothin'."

"Doesn't seem like it. I know you Uzumaki. Something's up with you lately and I wanna know what it is. Now spill or I'll pull us over." Kiba growled in return, choosing not to glare as he kept his eyes on the road and the lights.

The blonde could only scoff, a slight smirk making his lips twitch. "What kind of threat is that?"

"I'll make you walk back to the station." Was the response, sounding a bit too serious to be something Kiba would say.

"You wouldn't!" Naruto said, almost astonished at how serious the brunette was being, half believing the man would do it.

"Wanna try me?" the man inquired, finally glaring at the blonde who blinked, shaking his head almost in shock. "Thought so. Now spill the beans man! You're not actin' like you."

Naruto sighed. He had to give in. as stubborn as he was, Kiba's serious attitude had convinced him to come clean. The man was his best friend after all. "Fine. I'll tell you already."

"So? What's goin' on?" Kiba asked for the third time that day.

The blonde sighed again, leaning back in his seat a little as he stared forward at nothing. "Pigs are learning to fly and cows are raining from the sky."

Kiba's jaw worked, half in astonishment, the other half in frustration. "Say what? What kind of bullshit is that?!" he growled angrily, using a free hand to punch Naruto in the arm as hard as he could.

Naruto was too busy laughing to care about the pain in his limb. "Kidding! Kidding! I'll tell you! I'll tell you!"

"Then tell me dammit!" Kiba growled, gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly for even Naruto to ignore.

"Iruka found a boyfriend." The blonde finally said with finality, sounding almost tired as he spoke.

Kiba couldn't help but feel shocked at this news before breaking into a smile. "Really? Damn! 'Bout time! Who is he?"

"That's the thing! I don't know! And it's sending me up a wall." Naruto nearly shouted, throwing his hands into the air as the urge to bang his head on something became stronger by the second.

A little confused, Kiba pressed on. "Have you asked him?"

"I did! He wouldn't tell me!" the blonde exclaimed, his hands going up again.

"Have you tried spying on him?" Kiba inquired, a smirk playing on his lips mischievously.

Naruto stared at his friend and partner in disbelief. "What?! I'm not gonna spy on my guardian and coworker!"

It was Kiba's turn to throw up his hands, though he kept one on the wheel. "Then what? You gotta do somethin'! This guy could be dating a complete psycho for all we know!"

Naruto shook his head. "Don't remind me. And the fact he's being so secretive about it is makin' me nuts!"

"Has he even hinted about who it might be?" Kiba asked, hoping the blonde could give him more clues about the situation.

The blonde just shook his head again in defeat. "No. Not even once! He doesn't normally keep stuff from me like this."

As if by chance, something in Kiba's mind clicked. "Wait. If Iruka's been Mr. Hush-hush, then why did Kakashi give you all that work to do this morning?"

A little confused at this, Naruto stared at Kiba with a slight blank look. "What do you mean?"

Kiba didn't even pause, the epiphany lining his tone. "Think about it! Iruka starts dating a mystery dude, but at the same time, Kakashi's been leaving work earlier than usual. Don't you think that's odd?"

At first, Naruto said nothing as he fell back with a slight thump, looking absolutely dumbfounded. "Oh. My. God."

"What?" Kiba asked, instantly worried for his friend.

"He's dating Kakashi." The blonde almost whispered in shock.

"What?!" Kiba exclaimed, having heard only half of the blonde's words.

This time, Naruto was close to shouting. "That good for nothin', lazy ass bastard's dating my guardian!"

Even though he'd also pieced things together, this still sounded outrageous in his ears, the brunette trying to keep the car straight in his state of shock. "Oh fuck! That's crazy!"

"I'm gonna fuckin' kill him!" Naruto snarled, nearly waving his arms well enough to get Kiba in the face.

Lucky for Kiba, he'd seen the arms flailing almost wildly as the blonde expressed his once well-suppressed rage at their lazy boss. "Whoa slow down dude! Don't go flyin' off the handle! Jesus! Nearly makin' me hit people! We both know that Kakashi's nothin' like Mizuki!"

"Thank god he's gone. The psycho bastard." Naruto grumbled to himself, his face darkening again as his thoughts turned to the once good officer before being arrested for assault and battery of an officer as well as endangerment on top of a few DUI's and possession of controlled substances. He wouldn't be getting out for a while.

"Especially when you nearly shot him in the balls." Kiba said with a nod, taking another corner at the light.

Naruto nodded as well. "Yeah. Got him in the leg though."

"True." This led to a calm silence, Kiba silently thankful that the blonde's mood had finally cooled down. "So what're you gonna do now?"

"About what?" the blonde inquired, having been lost in thought.

"About Kakashi dating Iruka. I mean, if that's what they're actually doing right now since they kinda went through all the effort to keep it from ya." Kiba reasoned, hoping not to flare the blonde's anger again.

Naruto just nodded at this, looking thoughtful. "Yeah. If that's what we think they're doing."

Kiba waited, almost nervous about what the blonde might say. "So? What're you gonna do?"

Smirking almost serenely, Naruto looked Kiba right in the eye. "Next I see Kakashi, I just might kill his ass."

"Naruto!" Kiba exclaimed in shock, even though he was trying not to laugh at what the blonde had just said. He knew full well the blonde was joking.

"Fine, fine! I'll just let him off with a warning." Naruto said chuckling as they both fell back into silence again.

It was the radio that finally broke it, being the first noise the thing had made in over an hour since leaving the station to do their patrol. "_Attention all units. We have a robbery in progress on the corner of 5__th__ and 9__th__ Street. I repeat…_"

"That's just a few blocks down from us." Naruto said, vaguely looking at one of the street signs not far away from them.

The brunette nodded, clicking on the sirens as he put his foot down on the gas. "I got it. Make the call dude."

"Right." The blonde didn't need more prompting as he picked up the receiver, holding the call button down. "Home Base? This is car 544 reporting. We're on our way to the scene now. E.T.A. is five minutes. Over."

A female voice came over the line, her voice a little crackly from all the static as she responded. "_Roger that 544. Further assistance is heading your way._"

"Copy that." Naruto said as he set the receiver back in its place as Kiba quickly but carefully wheeled them through the busy streets, other cars struggling to get out of the their car's way as the sirens blared over the sounds of the city.

--_**With Sasuke**_—

_First it's the birds, then that stupid baby, now this. What. The. Fuck._ He thought angrily at whatever celestial deity was listening. Today just wasn't his day. Mainly since he was now involved in some street gang's attempt at robbing the mini supermarket he'd entered to get something other than coffee, soda or water to drink. He'd made it to the freezer section, scanning the drinks some time before the three punks in their low riding pants and baggy pullovers came flying in, guns waving and voices loud but oddly jumbled as they waved their weapons in the air and in people's faces. Showing how little they'd paid attention in English class. A little annoyed at their frenzied display of foolishness, Sasuke chose to simply ignore them as several other people in the room panicked and dropped onto the floor.

Of course, this lack of response didn't blow over well with the three teens trying to act like men. The leader, a dark skinned young man with fat lips and a hood so far over his head to where it looked like he could barely see, was the first to notice Sasuke standing to the far right of the front doors near the glass doors of the freezer units where all the drinks and frozen foods were stored. "Yo! You over there!"

Sasuke kept on pacing, pretending not to hear the idiot yelling at him from across the store as he continued to scan the drinks, from the beers to the soft drinks before giving way to the health drinks and the cheap wines that soon gave way to a few wines that actually looked fairly authentic. Taking his bag off and setting it on the ground, several people taking to watching him from where they lay on the floor, Sasuke opened one of the glass doors. It instantly fogged as the cold air came flowing out of the new orifice, the raven picking up a Sobe in its glass container, reading the black and white box on the side. He had preferences after all.

"Hey man! You deaf?" the man shouted again, this time in anger as he cocked the gun in Sasuke's direction. The raven didn't even flinch, as he stayed focused on the rows and rows of beverages in front of him.

"Check this dude out fools! Not even scared!" the second man said incredulously as he jogged over to the raven to stand almost next to him as Sasuke continued to read the label of another Sobe bottle.

"He got somethin' in his ears or what?" the third asked from where he stood at the register, keeping his weapon pointed at the clerk who looked like he was about to go into the next world.

The second, disgustingly close to Sasuke and squinting from under his hood, his teeth white but his breath stinking as he shook his head. "Nah. Nothin'! Maybe he is deaf!"

"Hey man? Anyone home?" he said laughing as he waved a hand in front of Sasuke's face. "Man this guy's retarded!"

He wasn't laughing for much longer as Sasuke's disturbingly stoic face came almost out of nowhere to say only one thing. "Good night."

"Wha-?"

Good night indeed. Before the punk could say another word, Sasuke had brought the Sobe bottle down on the man's head, making it shatter into a thousand pieces. He grunted and fell the floor in a heap, his two friends cursing as they moved in on the raven-haired man now armed with what remained of a glass bottle. That is, if the bottle hadn't shattered more than he thought it would. _Shit._ He thought as he dropped the remains of the glass bottle and leaped over his previous target, hoping to gain an advantage in the one of the nearest aisles. _Definitely not my day, definitely not my day at all._

Just when he thought things would get worse, two men about his age, one blonde with sky blue eyes, the other a brunette with strangely dilated eyes, both dressed in blue and carrying guns came running through the front door.

"POLICE!" the blonde shouted in an oddly booming voice, catching the last of the three thugs by surprise. But the first punk, who had a knife in hand, was determined to avenge his friend's downfall by ignoring the harsh shout and continued after Sasuke as the raven decided to make a stand. Taking a defensive stance, Sasuke's hardened face and black eyes bored into the teen, almost making him falter. But instead of retreating, the teen somehow pulled himself together to come running with the knife flashing in the artificial lights.

As the knife-wielding thug came running at Sasuke from the front, the third man came flying down one of the aisles to Sasuke's left with a gun in hand. Thinking fast, the raven swatted the knife away, making the teen spin as the other thug tried to get a good shot of him when he had the chance. It was a chance wasted when Sasuke suddenly came running at him, zigging and zagging down the aisle at him before hitting him in the arm in such a way to where the thug screamed in pain as the gun clattered to the floor. As the punk slumped onto the ground, holding his limb in agony, Sasuke was forced into motion by the knife-wielding idiot hot on his heels. The two cops were still shouting at the remaining thug, who obviously wasn't listening, their guns pointed in his direction as they told him they'd shoot if he didn't stop. Obviously annoyed, the blonde was the first to fire at the teen, getting him in the shoulder, causing him to fall to the floor with a pained yell.

"STAY DOWN! HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE 'EM!" the blonde shouted in his clarified annoyance, the gun still pointed at the teen on the floor. His partner, the brunette, had whipped out handcuffs and was securing the one Sasuke had hit with the bottle. Looking up as the raven approached, his strange eyes watched him curiously as he stepped around them to get his bag.

"Hey." The man said, his voice meaning business.

The raven paused, his stoic expression sticking as he turned around to face the officer kneeling next to his victim.

"You do this?" he said, indicating the fallen thug with his head.

Sasuke just stared before speaking calmly. "Yeah."

The cop was obviously impressed by his next words, a smirk growing on his lips to reveal dog-like canines. "Damn! Hit him hard enough?"

"Maybe. Why?" the raven inquired, his expression unchanging.

The cop just shrugged as he calmly cuffed the unconscious man. "Well he's out cold if that's what you mean. I'm just hopin' you didn't bash his brains in or nothin' like that. That'd be murder."

Sasuke shook his head. "Not that hard. But hard enough."

Confused, the brunette decided to inquire. "Meaning?"

"Hard enough to shut him up."

With that Sasuke turned away without another word to the brunette, his bag slung over one shoulder as he calmly headed for the door. Before he could even reach the glass, bulletproof door, the blonde's voice echoed throughout the large room again. "LOOK OUT!"

Confused about who the man was talking to, Sasuke turned around to find that the third thug had somehow crawled across the floor in his agony, grabbed his gun somewhere along the way, and was now pointing it at Sasuke once again. The raven had only seconds to react. Nearly dropping his bag for the second time that day, he managed to jump to the side, the sudden report of the gun echoing throughout the store. Seconds later, Sasuke's mind was clouded by pain as he lay on the ground, his mouth open in a silent scream.

--_**With Naruto and Kiba**_—

It'd proven to be a routine bust, all three men down for the count with an oddly pale man with black hair and black eyes being the only person standing, obviously being the only one to actually take some kind of defense against the perpetrators. A bit tall and thin, his face a calm mask lacking emotion, he waltzed over to where a black backpack sat with a skateboard strapped to the back. His clothes were just as dark, the sleeves to his hoodie almost too long but it proved to be of good fit. Sneakers, also a rather dark color, didn't make any noise as he walked past where Naruto knew Kiba happened to be, dealing with one of the thugs lying comatose on the tile floor. The blonde heard the two talking a few aisles over, the raven's voice calm and almost ethereal in nature, practically ghostly at best, but deep and mature. He could only shiver at how those dark eyes had looked when he first looked into them as he cuffed the fallen thug who was cussing his head off at him.

_There's something about him… something off… but what is it? Just who is that guy anyway?_ Naruto thought as he began to look for the second thug who he'd seen the raven take down as if he were nothing before he'd shot the knife-wielding idiot. Much to his alarm, he wasn't where the raven had let him drop. And the gun was nowhere to be seen either. _Oh shit._ Were the blonde's thoughts as he quickly searched the room for the missing thug. It didn't take him long to find him.

He was still on the floor, his left arm stiff and unusable as he awkwardly used his right to take rather poor aim at the departing raven's back. The only thing he was able to say before the gun went off was. "LOOK OUT!"

The raven turned, confused at his words only to stiffen at the sight of a gun turned on him without his knowledge. His reflexes were quick since the raven seemed to vanish just as the gun went off, the sound echoing off the walls. Naruto pounced on the thug, just then able to step on the thug's hand, making him scream and let the weapon go. Quickly cuffing him and kicking the gun away, Naruto ran over to where the raven-haired man had disappeared.

What he found wasn't something he expected: the raven's eyes were almost blank as they were almost closed with pain, hair spread on the across his features while his face having turned another shade of pale as he clutched his right leg in obvious agony. Naruto was instantly concerned, vaguely remembering to tell Kiba to call for an ambulance as he grabbed a package of kitchen paper towels, breaking the plastic before unrolling some to cover the wound with. The brunette was suddenly there behind him, staring in utter astonishment at the sight before him.

"Kiba! Call an ambulance! Now!" Naruto said, trying to stay focused on the man in front of him, hoping the raven would remain awake for as long as possible. He didn't want anyone dying on his shift.

"Some are already on the way right now!" Kiba said as he turned away from the blonde to call out to the old man behind the register who hadn't moved throughout the whole ordeal. "Hey old man! Got any blankets?"

The man nodded, a slight terrified stutter in his voice. "Y-yes officer. I'll go get them!" with that, he was off, heading towards the back where the break room for what few employees he had probably was.

"Hurry!" Kiba called as the man vanished before snatching his own paper towel roll from the shelf. "I'll watch over the other guy."

"I got this right here. Go before he bleeds to death." Naruto said, never taking his eyes of the raven still lying silently on the floor, gritting his teeth against the pain that was probably spreading through his leg like wildfire.

"Hey. Hey man! Can you hear me?" the black eyes turned towards him, the dark orbs still brimming with pain and what looked to be tears. Wordlessly, the raven nodded as if grudgingly. As if he was really hating this moment like no tomorrow. Naruto chose to just keep talking so as to distract the raven-haired man from his pain and the blood trying to puddle on the floor.

"Stay awake okay? Stay awake. Whatever you do, don't fall asleep okay? Do you understand what I'm telling you?" he said, trying to remain calm, as the raven had been not minutes before. He had no idea why he felt like panicking.

Again the man nodded, gritting his teeth with a slight grunt as he fought off another wave of pain. Looking up for the first time in five to ten minutes, Naruto shouted off to the distance with the hopes of someone hearing him. "Where are those god damn blankets?! He needs to stay warm here!"

The old man came out of the back as fast as he could, his old legs obviously not helping as he dropped a few of the blankets off with Kiba before struggling to run to where Naruto was kneeling next to the silent raven.

"Hold this." He ordered as he quickly took the blankets from the elderly store clerk and swiftly unfolded them, forcing the raven to let go of his wounded leg so he could lie flat on the floor. The raven-haired man grunted, blinking then forcing back a cry of pain as the old man pulled his leg straight, gritting his teeth hard enough to make them sound like rocks grounding together.

"He was really something before you came." He said, catching the blonde cop by surprise, making his blue eyes fall on him.

"Really? What do you mean?" he inquired, truly curious with what the man was talking about.

The man just shrugged as he held the paper towels in firmly place. "He didn't even move when they came. Just stood there, ignoring them. When one of them came up to him, he hit him with a bottle. The rest I think you saw."

Naruto blinked, purely astonished at this. "Just him? No weapon or nothin'?"

The old man nodded. "Nothing. Just his hands."

"Have you seen him before?" the blonde asked, making sure the raven's eyes were still open as he pulled down another roll of paper towels.

The elderly man shook his head this time, his face slightly scowling. "No. Not before today. Must be new in town."

"Yeah, that's my guess too. Kiba!" Naruto called, knowing well his partner could hear him from where he was.

"What?" the man called, obviously preoccupied with his own bleeder.

"When are those ambulances getting here?" he said, trying not to keep his eyes from straying away from the raven's pale face.

"They should be here in another minute! Maybe less!" the brunette said after a moment of silence, obviously counting off the time since he'd made the call.

"Shit. We don't can't wait that long!" Naruto growled under his breath, pulling down another roll to trade it out for the already failing one.

Just when he thought he'd have to resort to drastic measures, a few familiar faces came rushing through the door. And Tenten, a brown haired Chinese girl, was leading them with her first aid bag at her side. It didn't take her long to spot the blonde.

"What happened here?" she exclaimed, obviously concerned for both the blonde and the man lying on the floor.

"This guy needs help stat!" he said almost too quickly, wondering why his voice was strained with desperation.

"All right!" she said, all business as she turned to the other paramedics who'd followed her in. "You two take care of the others. I'll take this one."

"Thanks Tenten." He said, mentally relieved that help had finally arrived.

"So what went down?" the woman inquired as she went to examine where the raven had been shot after followed procedure in having Naruto put an air mask on the man's face.

Naruto didn't need to be asked twice. "This guy beat the shit outta two of the thugs before letting us take over. But when he was trying to leave, one of 'em somehow got away long enough to get him in the leg. I thought you'd never get here!"

Tenten just rolled her eyes in amusement. "Well unlike you, I know how to be on time. How long has he been bleeding?"

The blonde thought this over, looking at the clock on the wall above the register. "For… maybe eight minutes. Maybe less."

"Damn! This is gonna be tough. Is he still conscious?" she asked as she started to wrap up the leg, having the elderly man help her. The raven grunted in discomfort, his body shifting as his face twisted from the pain. His eyes weren't open anymore.

"Just barely. He was pretty responsive earlier." Was all Naruto could say as he willed himself to remain calm. He hated seeing people die for the most idiotic of reasons, especially if it was partially his fault.

If Tenten noticed the blonde's state of distress, she didn't show it. "Well see if you can't get him to be like that again. We'll need to know his blood type so we can do a transfusion at the hospital."

"Right." Using one of his hands, Naruto gave the raven's face a slight pat, hoping it was all he had to do. Thankfully it was enough to get the man's attention, his dark eyes opening through his severe agony. "Can you hear me? Stay awake! Don't go to sleep understand? Stay awake!"

"Ask him his blood type." Tenten reminded as she began to finish up

"Oh! Right, right! Hey!" he called again, making sure the dark eyes remained focused on him as he spoke. "Stay with me here! What's your blood type?"

The man's mouth moved, but no sound came out, suggesting he was in too much pain to use his voice. Or he'd lost the ability to speak the moment he was shot. A bit worried that it was the latter, Naruto had to ask. "Could you repeat that?"

Lips moving as if from a silent film, the blonde watched them move as closely as he could, quickly able to discern what the movements meant. As the raven's mouth stopped 'talking', the blonde quickly relayed the message. "I think he said B negative."

"Let's hope you're right about that." She said as a pair of men came running in with a rolly stretcher, pulling the thing as close to where the raven was on the floor as possible. "Okay, on three! One, two, THREE!"

He wasn't that heavy, but his dead weight was still enough to create some effort for the medics as they set him down on the movable bed and began to cart him out the door. Naruto managed to say one thing before doing the same, grabbing the man's bag on his way out. "Kiba! I'll be at the hospital if you need me!"

"Okay dude! I'll help out here!" the brunette called from several aisles down, helping the paramedics deal with the man Naruto had shot in the shoulder.

"Later!" and the blonde was gone.

--_**Sasuke's POV**_—

And to think his day couldn't get any worse. First, it was birds and babies, then it was dumb ass thugs with weapons, _now_ it was the fiery pain of a bullet forcing its way through flesh and, much to his highest hopes, not bone. And it hurt like hell. Proof that his luck was probably not going to get much better anytime soon. So, as he lay on the cool tile of that mini supermarket, clutching his leg as if for dear life, he was brought back to reality by that booming voice that seemed a bit soothing in his mind. The blonde had come up to him, his image blurry since Sasuke's eyes were full of unshed tears of agony.

He vaguely registered the man above him speaking to someone far off, most likely the brunette he'd just spoken with. Another shadow appeared, the brunette's voice muffled compared to the blonde's faintly comprehendible voice. The second shadow vanished from his now limited sight, forced to look at the blonde's now clear face, furrowed with fear and concern. Never had he seen such a face. He was distracted from his thoughts by the man's worry filled words.

"Hey. Hey man! Can you hear me?" the blonde called in soft voice, but it still echoed like thunder in Sasuke's ears. He could only nod through his pain, thoroughly hating how his day had turned out so far.

Feeling another wave of pain shoot through him and his leg, Sasuke gritted his teeth as the blonde's kind voice came echoing in again, encouraging him as best as he could.

"Stay awake okay?" he said from what seemed like a long distance away, a trimmer of panic in his tone as he spoke. "Stay awake. Whatever you do, don't fall asleep okay? Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

The only thing he could do to reassure this strangely soothing voice was to nod, his teeth seeming to grind against each other as he fought against screaming. From all the times he'd gotten hurt whether it was sprains, breaks or cracks, never had he experienced pain of this magnitude. He was amazed that he was still conscious enough to understand anything the blonde said to him. Whoever he was.

In the midst of his pain and fading senses of the world around him, he vaguely heard the blonde cop shout at someone in the distance, obviously demanding something that should've arrived some time before. Whenever that time was. Sasuke didn't know anymore. He would've gladly passed out if not for the burning pain that kept him awake but vaguely aware of anything. It wasn't a good feeling.

A smaller shadow came into view through the corner of his eye, a bit too small to suggest that the brunette was back. The voice that came with it was too soft. _Probably one of the other customers... or is it the clerk? Hn. Whatever._ He thought as he let his eyes close on their own, the faint memory of the blonde telling him to stay awake somehow forcing itself to the surface amidst the random thoughts that faded off into the deep recesses of his mind. Another wave of pain came over him, making him shift, forcing a grunt from his clenched teeth before the floaty feeling returned again. Never had he felt like this. The other person and the blonde cop were talking about something he couldn't make out as he felt himself beginning to drift.

He probably would've drifted further if not for the suddenness of another voice, calm but commanding as it got the blonde talking again. Something had been placed on his face, making air easier to obtain. The voices continued on, someone moved his leg, making him grunt again, shifting but his eyes remained shut. It wasn't long before a warm hand suddenly made its presence known by coming in contact with his cheek, a bit sharp and to the point before disappearing.

The skin was rough and well worked, something to be expected from a cop's hands since he or she dealt with all sorts of things that made the skin on their hands become rough, almost leathery. As soon as the hand came in contact with his own skin, the blonde's voice echoed out from the darkness. Even though sleeping felt like a good idea, the pain was still too much. Wanting to know why he'd been 'slapped', Sasuke forced his eyes open again.

"Can you hear me? Stay awake! Don't go to sleep understand? Stay awake!" the blonde said, sounding almost desperate, his expression still voicing his concern even though they knew nothing of each other.

_Is this guy that dedicated?_ He thought as the blonde suddenly looked away for a second, his image oddly blurred before coming back to say the end of a sentence.

"Stay with me here! What's your blood type?" the question was enough to bring Sasuke back into focus of his situation. Since he'd been shot, the bleeding had probably worsened and the blonde and the two newcomers had been attempting to stop if from having him bleed to death. He wanted to speak, he really did, but when he opened his mouth, no sound would come out.

He didn't have time to be confused when the blonde, as if out of confusion or concern for what he'd tried to say, the blonde spoke again. "Could you repeat that?"

_I'm B negative you dobe._ He thought as he repeated the words he meant to say in the first place. _I'm B negative._

The blonde seemed to understand him this time, his face becoming blurry as he turned away to speak to one of the newcomers, his eyes drooping on their own again. He never noticed when he was lifted from the floor to the stretcher, placed in the ambulance and rushed to the hospital so he could be rushed to surgery.

--_**Two Hours Later, Normal POV**_—

Having escorted the raven-haired stranger to the hospital via ambulance, Naruto waited for news on the man in the waiting room, after which he'd washed the man's blood off his hands. The last thing he wanted was to be stared at just because he forgot to clean his hands, appearing as if he'd committed a crime rather than helped save a life in jeopardy. That would be truly awkward for him.

After sitting in the lobby for half an hour with still no word on the man he'd assisted a few hours before, Naruto's attention was caught by a flustered Iruka marching his way through the room, instantly spotting him with a sigh of relief. "Naruto! Are you all right?"

The blonde could only smile at the man's concerned expression. "Yeah, I'm fine! I'm more worried about the guy I helped bring here."

This caught Iruka by surprise, making him blink in curiosity. "Really? Any word?"

Naruto shook his head with a tired sigh as he sat down again, rubbing his face in the hopes of ridding himself of his weariness that went all the way to his bones. "None. I think he might still be in surgery."

"W-what happened?!" the older man stammered, showing predictable compassion for a person he hadn't even met yet. This always made Naruto feel like he had a true father in the man.

The blonde just waved away the older man's concern. "Just a gunshot wound to the leg. I helped stop the bleeding a bit but I think with some time he'll be fine. I'm only hoping what I did was enough."

"I'm certain you did all you could for him, even if it might not seem like enough to you. Just you wait, I'm sure this man, whoever he is, is pretty resilient." Iruka reasoned in his all-too predictable way, making Naruto smile.

"You say as if you know the guy off the top of your head! I guess we'll just have to wait and see." He said, leaning back to where his eyes stared up at the bland white ceiling tiles that made school kids want to toss pencils at.

"Need anything? I think I saw a coffee machine in the next room." Iruka inquired, hoping to rid the blonde man of any worries, being the father figure that he was.

Naruto just shook his head again, rubbing his eyes. "No. I'm good. But I'm still wondering about something."

"Oh? What's that?" the man inquired, unsuspecting of the query to come.

"Are you dating Kakashi?" Straightforward, literally to the point, no 'beat around the bush' business kind of question that the recipient would never suspect of being asked from the very beginning of the conversation. And it was enough to have Iruka blushing red enough to be mistaken for a tomato with brown leaves instead of green ones.

"W-what? What gave you that idea?" he stammered, desperately trying to fight down the blush that conquered his face even more.

Naruto mentally gave himself a high five at his success in finally getting the truth out of the man. "The fact he's been working me to death, you won't say a word and, to top things off for ya, that pretty strong blush on your face."

"Now Naruto! Don't get upset now!" he said, hoping to not have to tackle the younger man if he tried to make a move towards leaving to kill the silver haired man in question.

"I'm not upset! Only if he tries to hurt you like Mizuki did." The blonde said, purely defensive against Iruka's suspicions, knowing better than to attack his own boss for 'no reason'. Even though he did, in all technicality, have a reason to strangle the man at this point, mainly for nearly making him get writer's cramp from all the papers he had to fill out that morning.

Iruka winced at the memory of his ex-boyfriend and how deceptive the awful man had been, truly nice and sweet and smiling one second before turning disturbingly vicious the next, the smile having changed to a sneer. And that was the kind of man Iruka didn't want to meet up with again. But thanks to Kakashi, he'd overcome his fear of meeting another Mizuki and caved to the man's insistent pleas for at least one evening together as more than just coworkers. From his perspective, it'd been one of the best nights he'd spent with someone he knew in all his years of adulthood.

But it wasn't until after date # 22 went off without a hitch that Naruto had become suspicious of what he'd been doing for the past month and a half. Not to mention that this was the first time he'd heard of the poor blonde being forced to do twice as much works as before. Proof that Kakashi was determined to make more time for him rather than for work like he should. Iruka would have a talk with the silver haired man later on when he had the time but right now, his focus was on his 'son'. That's how he'd always seen Naruto as, and nothing in the world was going to ever change that. Not if he still had air in his lungs and a brain in his skull. And he knew the blonde would be on the defensive once he learned he was dating again thought it'd been almost two years since Mizuki had been dragged halfway across the state to be put in a solitary confinement cell. Both of them hoped the man would never be let out to bother them again.

Smiling as he forced the horrible memories away, Iruka patted the blonde on the back as he rose from his seat. "I'll go get us some coffee."

This time, Naruto didn't protest as he silently nodded, his blue eyes falling on the doors to his far left that remained unmoving. He couldn't help but feel a little worried about the raven haired man beyond said doors, his heart seeming to clench at the thought of not being good enough help or doing close to everything in time. As much as he hated thinking like this, Naruto couldn't help but feel a little guilty for not finding the man sooner. Maybe then we wouldn't both be here right now. He thought, rubbing his eyes again in time for his guardian to return with the promised cups of dark brew.

"Here." the brunette said, holding out one of the cups to the blonde man.

Naruto reached out to take it, his voice having become soft with fatigue laced with worry and guilt. "Thanks."

It never took Iruka long to notice the change in mood. "Feeling okay?"

"I don't know. Kinda guilty though." He mumbled, staring down at the swirl of powder and liquid in the cup in his hand.

The older man didn't even miss a beat. "Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault. Your attention was split between a pretty large number of people. That always makes it hard to keep track of them all. It always will Naruto. Now drink your coffee before I force it down your throat."

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle, giving his guardian a disapproving look. "Hey! Harsh much?"

"Only when you're sulking like you are now." The older man reasoned, already bringing his own cup to his lips.

The blonde just rolled his eyes, taking a sip of the heavenly mixture of caffeine and hearty flavor. He could already feel his bones loosing their achy feel even as the guilt still lingered in his mind all the same. Something told him it was going to be a long wait.

--_**Another Hour Later**_—

Iruka had left sometime before, having the blonde promise to call as soon as he got news on the raven who he had yet to meet. That'd been at least forty minutes ago and Naruto still had yet to be approached by a nurse or a doctor. And it was slowly but surely sending him up a wall. Just when he thought that true panic was going to set in for the hundredth time that day, a familiar face in a white coat came walking down the hall with a clipboard in his hand. Gekko Hayate, a tall but sickly looking man who was always on edge of hacking up a lung, came into the room, scanning it before catching sight of the blonde staring at him curiously. He couldn't help but smile between coughs.

"I thought you'd be here. You're a determined kid." He said as he walked over to where the blonde sat in wait for whatever the man had to say.

"Anything?" Naruto asked, prepared to hear the worst but hopefully the best.

Hayate just smiled, flipping through the pages on the board in his hand. "Plenty. Your friend's gonna need lots of sleep after this. Lots of vitamins and minerals to keep him up and going now that he's lost a lot of blood but knowing you that'll be easy. He's pretty lucky that bullet missed everything vital or he'd be walkin' around with a cane for the rest of his life."

Naruto's shoulders drooped as he sighed in relief. "That's definitely a relief. I thought he'd bleed to death."

"Well lucky for both you he's just asleep. Do you wanna see him?" Hayate asked, giving the blonde a curious look.

Naruto just smiled, waving the offer away. "Nah. I'll come back in the morning. Keep me posted will ya?"

"Sure thing kid." The man said as he watched the blonde head out the doors with a smirk on his face. _I wonder if he's noticed yet… eh. He'll come around._ Without another thought, Hayate went to finish his rounds for the night.

--_**The Next Morning**_—

Kindly thanking the nurse who'd let him in, Naruto turned his sky blue eyes on the pale form lying on the bed in the middle of the room. Name and origins unknown, the raven was still considered a John Doe. Mr. Anonymous. He who hasn't been named. As he sat down in one of the chairs meant for visitors, Naruto watched the man's chest slowly rise and fall as his eyes remained closed, his mind far off in whatever dream he might be having. Naruto was glad he'd actually taken the day off, maybe then he'd see if he could learn more about the raven and what happened in the store. The raven had probably thought he'd walk away without a scratch.

_So much for that thought since he didn't even make it to the door._ Naruto thought in slight amusement, letting a smirk play on his lips. Looking around the room a little, he noticed a few magazines piled on one of the tables, a few of them most likely a year or two old but still in good condition. Picking one up, the blonde began to flip through the pages before finding something that appeared interesting. Somewhere in the middle of reading a paragraph, a small grunt caught the blonde's attention. Looking up, he saw that the raven-haired man was finally waking up. Rising from his chair, the blonde quickly went to the door and called out to a young woman who was coming down the hall.

"Nurse!" his voice carried a little, but it was enough to get her attention.

She turned at the sound of her title, seeing the blonde close to stepping out of the room, staring right at her. "Yes?"

"This guy's just wakin' up. I think you take his vitals." Naruto said, not really sure just how such things worked as he let her into the room.

She gave him a kind smile as she began the five-minute procedure. "All right then. Do you know his doctor?"

"Should be Hayate." The blonde said, his eyes falling on the raven who was staring sleepily at them from where he lay on the bed.

"I'll inform him as soon as I'm through." The nurse said kindly.

"Thanks." Naruto didn't say another word until she was gone. "Hey."

The raven stared at him curiously, still looking disoriented but showed some signs of recognition in his eyes. He just nodded at Naruto before he tried sitting up.

The blonde immediately pushed him back down, his face furrowed with concern, knowing the man probably wasn't ready for such movements just yet. "Whoa there! Not just yet okay? We don't know if you're ready to up and walkin' around."

This sentence seemed to bring the man back to reality as he looked down at his feet before looking back at the blonde. "My… my leg."

"Should be just fine! That bullet didn't hit anything major but it did put quite a hole in ya. I think you're goin' to be here for a while." The blonde said, hoping to calm the man down, thankful he'd remembered what Hayate had told him the night before.

The raven-haired man blinked at the news, and seemed to accept it as he took to staring at the ceiling, thus allowing the blonde to retake his seat. After a moment of silence, Naruto finally spoke up again. "Now, do you have any family or friends we can contact so we can tell them what happened to you?"

Silence followed as the midnight black eyes stared emotionlessly at him. "…No."

"Coworkers or neighbors of any kind?" Naruto asked, trying not to let said eyes get to him.

More silence. "…. No."

A bit unnerved at the lack of positive responses, Naruto forced himself to press on with his questioning. "When did you first get here?"

"This--." He paused, a little confused at the oddly bright light before correcting himself. "Yesterday morning."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Ah. Thought so. No wonder the clerk said he'd never seen you before. But I had to ask you to be sure."

"Why all the questions?" the raven asked, his eyes narrowing a little at the blonde.

Naruto held up his hands as if to show innocence. "I'm a cop. And I'm just following protocol, even if it's my day off." His grin turned into a big smile. "You'll be seeing my quite a lot until we have this whole thing sorted out."

"Hn." Was all he got at the raven-haired man turned away, staring at the ceiling once again.

It was then he decided to ask the question of the hour. "Do you have a name?"

"…." The man wouldn't even look at him, eyes focused fully on the white tiles above him as the blonde just sighed in defeat.

"All right. If you don't wanna tell me. I understand." With this said, Naruto got up to leave. "I'll be coming back tomorrow after work to check up on you. In the meantime, I suggest lots of rest. Do you have a place yet?"

The raven turned and stared, appearing a little astonished at the question. "… No… not yet." The eyes narrowed again. "Why?"

"Well with that, I'll tell ya. If you want, you can stay with me a while. I could use a roommate who can take better care of the place than I could considering my hours. But if you don't want to, that's fine with me." Heading towards the door, the blonde paused only to smile kindly at the other man, waving as he spoke. "Later dude."

The raven could only lie there on the bed, staring at the closed door in shocked silence. Did a cop, he'd met only the day before, just offer him a place to stay? _What the hell's up with this city?_ He thought as he let sleep sink in again.

--_**With Naruto**_—

As he closed his car door behind him, buckling his seat belt and gripping the steering wheel, the blonde didn't try to put the key into the ignition. Instead he took to lightly thumping his head against the wheel, he thoughts all a jumble as the slight sting of leather biting into his skin didn't even register with him. He was too busy mentally slapping himself to notice. _What the fuck am I doing?! When the hell did I get the right to make an offer like that to a guy I DON'T EVEN KNOW?!! Oh fuck… what if he accepts? What then?! O-oh fuck. What did I just get myself into here?_

Getting the nerve to start his car, Naruto was about to pull out when someone suddenly tapped on his window, making him jump and almost scream. He just yelled in surprise instead. "AH!"

"Sorry. Are you okay?" the newcomer inquired, his pale purple eyes furrowed with concern for the blonde.

Naruto could only snap at the man through his window. "Dammit Neji! Don't fucking do that!"

"I said I was sorry." The raven grumbled. "Now can I talk to you?"

Blinking at the inquiry, Naruto just nodded. "Y-yeah."

Neji waited for the car to fall silent and for the blonde to exit the car. "What's up man? Need somethin'?"

"Heard you were involved in a attempted robbery last night." the man said, being predictably blunt and straightforward.

"Technically no, but I did shoot a guy." Naruto said coolly, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets.

Neji just pressed on, staring at the blonde calmly. "And you brought a wounded witness here."

"Think a stubborn one. He talks less than you do." Naruto joked, a smirk playing on his face, his whisker scars curving a little.

Neji just blinked, truly surprised. "Really? Is in that much shock?"

The blonde shook his head with a shrug. "No, I think it's because he has so little to say. Wouldn't even tell me his name. I'm goin' to be back here tomorrow to check up on him, see if he says much else."

"Where are you headed now?" Neji asked after a moment.

"Home. Need some time alone for once. Maybe get rid of some of that dust that's pilin' up under my couch. You know dust bunnies. Evil little things." the blonde said with a shiver as he opened his car door again.

Neji was smirking at the blonde's reaction to the thought of clumps of dust shaped like rabbits with teeth. "Yeah. They're evil all right."

"They go for your face! Only wild animals go for the face! These things go for your eyes, your nose! They go for the mouth if it's open!" Naruto said, his tone mockingly serious, trying not to crack up as he shut his door.

"See you around Naruto." Neji said as he walked away, trying to keep his own chuckles of amusement from showing.

But Naruto just rolled his window down a bit to shout after him. "It's like '_Monty Python and the Holy Grail_' all over again!"

"Goodbye Naruto!" he called back, half regretting his attempt at conversation with the blonde.

"Bye Neji!" Naruto called, laughing as he closed his window, turned the key and pulled out of the hospital parking lot. Making sure his belt was on, he looked both ways before merging with traffic and calmly driving away, heading right for his apartment building at the possibility of being attacked by imaginary creatures in the forms of dust balls under his furniture.

--_**Meanwhile, At The Hospital**_—

Silently traveling the halls, making sure no one noticed him roaming around the place as if he were lost. That was the last thing he wanted. He'd seen the news report from some time at night and wanted to confirm his suspicions. If he knew who he thought it was from the footage released on air, then maybe his search would finally come to an end. Once and for all. Calmly turning the doorknob to the room he'd read from one of the clipboards he'd snagged downstairs. He'd recognized the man's description at once.

Quietly slipping inside and shutting the door behind him, the man looked towards the bed where a pale form lay, the heart monitor machine making the regular beeping noise it was designed to make. Much to his relief, the raven-haired man was just sleeping soundly, his face calm and peaceful. He knew that face anywhere.

Just before he slipped out the door again, the stranger spoke aloud, his tone nothing more than a whisper that somehow echoed in the silence. "I finally found you… otouto. Don't worry, I'll find out what really happened to our family. That's all I can promise you for now. Rest, and live."

Before he could leave, the man stirred, eyes slowly opening but filled with sleep as he lifted his head a little, staring groggily at the door. "…A-aniki?"

The figure, also bearing raven black hair and night black eyes, could only smirk at his younger brother's attempt to recognize him. "I'll find you again, and hopefully, I'll have the truth with me. Goodbye… Sasuke."

With that, he left, just in time for Sasuke to slip back into unconsciousness while a single word echoed through his mind. _Aniki._

And that's the end for there isn't anymore! To think chapter one was long! Sheesh! I need to make these a little shorter don't you think? That'll mean more chapters and more suspense! Anyway, I should get on with things here. No notes. Awesomeness. But I do have to give some hint to what's next! Here ya go:

Next chapter:

Chapter 3: The Raven Moves In

Is the strange man that made a surprise visit really Sasuke's brother? If so, then what did he mean by 'the truth'? What exactly happened for them to be separated like they were? Will Naruto find out about Sasuke's missing sibling? Is there truly more to Sasuke's past than meets the eye? Find out when I update '_Drifting No More_' with:

_**Chapter 3: The Raven Moves In!!**_


	3. Chapter 3: The Raven Moves In

I'm definitely rollin' along with this one my friends! It's truly been a while since I worked on a fic this much! Proof that this one's just bound to interesting when I'm done with it. But right now, I'm actually thinking of givin' this thing a sequel. Of course, only if I feel like it. Anyway, I don't own Naruto in any shape or form since Kishimoto-sama made them all. I think Sarge is still trying to kidnap Kiba. Good luck with that! In the meantime, enjoy!

"Iii" speech

_Iii_ thought

Chapter 3: The Raven Moves In

After a day of relaxing at home once he finished vanquishing the horrors that were dust bunnies, Naruto navigated the city streets in his midnight blue Mustang model T as he made his way for the hospital. Once he retrieved the raven, if he chose to take him up on his offer, the blonde planned to help him get settled, sticking around long enough to answer any questions before heading off to work for the day. The raven's things had been put into a locker at the hospital and could be retrieved upon request when and if the man was ready to leave. For a Sunday morning, traffic was naturally light and filled with less angry drivers trying to get across town in time. Something that Naruto was relieved to enjoy, even if it was for an hour or two as he rounded a corner, steadily closing in on the hospital's parking lot.

Finding the spot he'd been in the day before to be empty, the blonde cop pulled in like the pro he'd become over the three and a half years he'd been driving cars other than his own. Making sure he was evenly spaced between the yellow lines and that he wasn't crooked in any way, Naruto shut off his car and locked it, pocketed his keys and headed for the front doors as if taking a walk in a park. He didn't like hospitals that much mainly since he'd been in them a lot as a high schooler but also to see if rape or attempted murder victims were able to talk about what'd happened to them yet. Seeing normally composed people looking so scared or defenseless made him feel down about how no one had tried to save said people from their suffering. Nodding at the nurse at the front desk, he pressed the 'up' button near the elevator and patiently waited for the doors to open up so the metal box could carry him away.

--_**Five Minutes Later**_—

It didn't take him long to find the room since he'd memorized the number from his last visit, that and he hoped the raven-haired man would be in a better mood. But at this point, Naruto doubted that was even possible. Knocking on the door lightly, the blonde turned the knob, slowly leaning in to see if anyone was inside already. Much to his surprise and absolute horror, the raven was not only sitting up on his own, but he was standing on his own two feet, dressed in civilian cloths only with a new pair of pants to go with his dark attire. Apparently the hospital staff either cut them up or simply didn't give them back when they were supposed to.

Naruto didn't hesitate to throw open the door and yell in pure surprise. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

The man blinked, truly taken aback at the blonde's sudden appearance and roiling emotions sweeping across his tanned face. Instead of freaking out like most people would when suddenly yelled at, the raven-haired man just kept his emotionless stare in place as he answered the blonde in his strangely ghost-like voice. "I'm leaving. That's what I'm doing. Why? Are you going to stop me?"

Naruto looked on edge of fuming at the man's audacity, his face almost turning red with anger. "You're still involved in an attempted robbery case. If you go missing, those three punks might go free."

"That would be true if the security camera in the corner as well as the five to seven other witnesses hadn't been there to watch it all happen. I think that's evidence enough for a trail don't you?" the raven-haired man deadpanned, making Naruto inwardly fume at the man's attitude.

"That's irrelevant." He growled, a scowl furrowing his brow.

"Wow. The dobe said a big word. Bravo." The raven deadpanned again, not looking perturbed in any way.

"Don't get smart with me!" Naruto snapped, his voice giving off the impression that he was yelling and not talking loudly. He didn't seem to notice as he went on. "You still need rest dammit! And I doubt you'll get far on that leg of yours."

The raven just rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I'll be fine. I've had something close to this happen and I was just fine the next day. Nothing to worry about and nothing to get all excited over. Now get out of my way."

"Absolutely not." He said, the scowl growing deeper.

A delicate eyebrow lifted itself in question. "Oh? What'll you do then?"

Obviously Naruto wasn't much for letting challenges go not undertaken. "Being as to how I'm the cop and you're the civilian, I'll tell you: I'll have you get back in that bed and get some rest for the next two or three days before you keel over! You look like you'd put computer printing paper to shame."

The raven blinked again, wondering if what the blonde said was true. _Am I really that pale? Or is he bluffing just to get me to cooperate?_ "What's it to you about how pale I am? It's not my fault my family's known for skin like this. Hell even my great, great, great grandparents had skin like mine!" he then scowled at the blonde, obviously defiant and growing very irritated. "Besides, I hate hospitals."

Naruto didn't even flinch at the response, but his expression did become clear and almost eerily calm as he pulled off a deadpan of his own. "Then I applaud you fighting off the urge to jump out the window. But that's still no excuse for you to try and leave without being properly discharged! Hayate said you'd be down for a while and for now, you just need to be under observation."

It was the raven's turn to scowl at the blonde. "Oh really? To make sure I don't get shot again? Please. I already told yo--."

"Yeah, yeah! That you've had somethin' close to gettin' shot, blah, blah, blah. I could give a damn! You're here under my protection whether you like it or not!" Naruto said angrily, poking the other man in the chest with one of his pointer fingers hard enough to make him flinch at the pain it caused.

The raven was about to snap back when the blonde man suddenly reached down towards the floor where he'd placed his backpack. Quickly zipping it closed and swinging it onto his back, the blonde man began to leave the room. When he didn't hear the other man following him, he paused at the door and looked back at the raven.

"You comin' or not?" Naruto said in annoyance as he stood in wait.

The raven was having trouble talking. "W-what?"

Naruto just shrugged, appearing most innocent in about his actions. "Since you don't want to stay here, you can stay at my place. At least there, you'll be seeing more color than utility. Now c'mon so I can sign you out."

Blinking in utter surprise at the blonde's actions, the raven saw no other choice but to follow the man. He did snatch up all his stuff after all. Within minutes, the two were out in the parking lot with the raven in the passenger's seat with Naruto behind the wheel as he pulled out again into the early morning hell that was New York traffic. The two men said nothing the whole way, mainly since the raven had nothing to say to the cop and Naruto was busy watching the road so they wouldn't get slammed into by a uneasy driver too busy trying to get to work to notice where he was going and who was ahead of him.

It didn't take them long to reach Naruto's apartment building, the blonde reclaiming his spot on the curb as he had the night before. Like so many days and nights before but that's not relevant. Making sure the raven was right behind him, Naruto led them through the lobby and towards the elevator. Like always, the ride up didn't take very long and neither did the walk to Naruto's apartment door.

--_**With Sasuke**_—

Even after the incident at the hospital and the weird silence in the blonde's classic and probably restored with almost obsessive vengeance of a car, he just couldn't figure the guy out at all. Not only had he saved him from bleeding to death and offered him a place to stay for no reason at all, Sasuke just couldn't understand why the blonde cop was being so nice to him. He'd seen some pretty nasty people givin' him guff for just walking past their homes, thinking he'd suddenly come running to knock their doors off their hinges when no one was looking. But most of the time, blending in with the crowd proved to be easiest when he didn't do much of anything except answer basic questions like 'are you looking for a job?' or 'what'll it be there handsome?' Though, when it came to some of the old ladies and ugly as hell girls who asked the latter, Sasuke couldn't help but shiver at their words.

He'd answered their questions nonetheless, avoiding contact with others at all times unless someone tried messing with him. The memory of some snot nosed thirteen year old trying to run off with his skateboard while another slightly older boy tried to sift through his things, it was then that the people at a quiet coffee shop in Syracuse found out what happened when they messed with their dark haired stranger. He didn't do anything permanent mind you, but he did give them a beating that had them bruised for days. They ran from him when they saw him the next day. None of the kids in the area dared bother him after that. A cop or two had been at the counter when it occurred and were purely shocked that a nineteen year old (1) was capable of such a thing.

But instead of sticking around for any kind of reaction from the shocked group of customers around him, Sasuke had just repacked what been messed with, put the right amount of money on his table, headed out the door where he set his skateboard on the ground and calmly rolled away. He went to a different restaurant the next day to avoid being kicked out by the manager since the man had been answering a question not far from where Sasuke made the two boys regret their actions. Why boys of that age were in such a place to begin with was beyond his knowledge, but it was one of the reasons going back to Syracuse a second time seemed like a bad idea.

Regardless, Sasuke waited for the blonde to open the apartment door as he tried to ignore the pain that shot through his leg every time he moved it. He was surprised he even made it to the blonde's couch, looking around with understandable curiosity. Much to his surprise, the place was fairly clean and was only just regaining a thin layer of dust on certain surfaces. Instead of coming all the way inside, the blonde set his bag down near the door and turned to his new guest. "Sorry but I gotta leave for work. I'll tell the neighbor across the hall that you're in here. I should be back around eightish. If not sometime later tonight if things get really hectic. There should be some food in the fridge if you're hungry."

"Hn." Was all he said, nodding at the blonde to show he'd gotten it all down in his head.

The blonde's kind face didn't change. "Okay… uh, any questions?"

"What's your name?" the question was so sudden, the blonde didn't even blink when Sasuke spoke.

"Huh?"

"You heard me. What's your name? I don't like living with strangers." He growled in annoyance, wondering if the other man was really that thickheaded.

"Tell me yours first." Of all the retaliations, he hadn't expected that.

Sasuke gave the blonde a suspicious look, holding his ground. "But I asked first."

The blonde shook his head, smiling almost mischievously as he spoke. "Now doesn't count. Mainly since I asked you yesterday and you refused to answer me. So, it applies again now."

Not only could he not defend against this kind of logic, much less find a good counter for it, the raven saw no other choice but to give in. "…I'm… I'm Sasuke."

The blonde's smile became a childish grin. "That's better! Well then Sasuke, I'm Naruto."

"Hn." This being all he could say as the blonde man began to leave.

But he paused in his exit to look back and say. "Oh and Sasuke?"

Confused, the raven had no choice but to look at his counterpart. "Hm?"

The smile had become a knowing grin. "Pain killers are in the cabinet above the sink in the bathroom down the hall. Ja!"

With that, Naruto left without another word, leaving Sasuke in complete shock at how truly perceptive the blonde really was. _Did he really notice I was in pain? How could he have? I kept it hidden the whole time! Even when we were in the car! Ugh. My day shouldn't have turned out like this!_

Leaving such thoughts alone, Sasuke decided to get up and explore a little now that the blonde was probably long gone. Why the man had actually brought him there to begin with was beyond him but a place to stay was a place to stay. He'd gotten by on motels and roadside inns before this but an actual apartment with stuff in it that wasn't over twenty years old? This is definitely gonna take some time to get used to. Looking around with mild curiosity, Sasuke decided to do some exploring while he was still in little to no pain from where he'd been shot almost two days before.

--_**With Naruto**_—

Driving to work after dropping Sasuke off and informing his neighbor of his new but still wounded roommate, Naruto managed to pull into the NYPD parking lot with enough time to dress out and grab a good seat next to Kiba at the morning briefing. As usual, Kakashi looked bored as hell as he mundanely went over that day's assignments before waving them out of the room. Just as everyone else was leaving, Naruto decided to stay behind, telling Kiba he'd meet him at their car.

It wasn't long before the silver haired man noticed the blonde was still with him in the now empty briefing room. With a disturbingly serious look on his face that made him feel as if he'd unleashed the devil himself. The older man didn't know what else to do other than act as casual as he possibly could. "Uh, do you need somethin' there Uzumaki?"

"When were you planning on telling me?" Naruto growled dangerously, looking ready to grab the man if he dared to run.

Kakashi, fearing that he'd been discovered, feared the worst as he pulled his poker face, feigning a calm appearance. "Telling you what?"

"That you and Iruka were dating this whole time." with that, the blonde could only watch for any kind of response the man would give him. Clue him in that his suspicions were correct.

Blinking at the blonde's words, Kakashi could only hope that he looked innocent enough to walk away in one piece. "I don't know what you mean…by…."

He would've continued if Naruto didn't look ready to kill anything that moved at this point in the 'conversation'. A definite sign that things weren't really going to end very well for him even after he opened his mouth in the hopes of throwing the blonde off the trail. Kakashi had no choice but to stand under the blonde's murderous gaze and await whatever punishment the man would dish out on him.

Much to his surprise, Naruto didn't do anything for the first few tense moments that came after he'd fallen silent. Since the blonde hadn't said a word since he'd tried to come up with a convincing response, Kakashi knew what Naruto was waiting for him to say. "Fine, fine. Yes, me and Iruka are dating."

Instead of looking smug about his success, Naruto just glared threateningly. "And when were you planning on informing me of this?"

"In… a week… or so." He stammered, knowing the blonde wouldn't believe him.

"Liar." Yup. Naruto still looked pissed.

Kakashi just chuckled nervously, hoping that he hadn't pissed his pant in fear by now. "Get back to work Uzumaki."

But Naruto wasn't done. No, he just leaned over the silver haired man with the most deviously infuriated look on his face, his voice nothing more than a demonic growl coming deep from his throat. "If I learn that you hurt him, even once, I'll shoot your ass until I run out of bullets."

Kakashi paled, his visible eye wide and if not for scarf that covered the lower half of his face, his jaw would be on the floor. Seeing that his point had been made, Naruto calmly turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Kakashi in a state of shocked horror. Maybe now he would think twice about keeping things about him and Iruka from the blonde from then on in.

--_**Later, On The Streets**_—

The two drove through early afternoon traffic, Kiba finally decided to break the silence with his burning questions. "So?"

Confused, Naruto looked over at his partner with questioning eyes. "So what?"

"Did you talk to him?" Kiba went on, hoping the blonde had the sense to know who he was talking about.

No dice. Naruto just stared before responding with more confusion. "Huh? Who about what?"

Holding back frustration, Kiba finally snapped. "Kakashi! About Iruka!"

Instantly recalling their conversation from two days before and what he'd done before leaving the briefing room, it was then that Naruto finally gave the brunette a positive response. "Oh! Yeah, yeah, I did."

"And?" he inquired expectantly, the blonde man's lacking answers were really starting to get on his nerves.

"And what?" Naruto asked innocently, knowing full well what it took to tick his partner off. The way he reacted was amusing to Naruto.

The blonde nearly smirked when the brunette in the driver's seat snapped at him angrily, his face almost mimicking an angry dog's. "What'd you say you moron!"

Naruto just shrugged casually. "That I'd shoot his ass until I ran out of bullets if I learned he'd hurt Iruka."

Kiba winced at the thought of this happening, just seeing what kind of scene such an act would create. "Ouch. Harsh enough?"

The smirk had become a triumphant smile. "No but his face was proof enough that he believed me."

"Fuckin' shit!" Kiba snapped, slapping one of his palms against the wheel. "I shoulda been there! That've been the raddest thing I've seen all week!"

"I don't doubt that." Naruto said calmly as he stared at the crowds lining the streets, filling the sidewalks almost like blood cells in a human vein.

Regaining his cool, Kiba made a turn as he spoke again. "What's to do today man?"

"Just the rounds for a while, then we gotta check out some apartment for some guy that's causin' his neighbors problems." The blonde said just as calmly, looking over the notes he'd taken in their briefing some fifteen minutes earlier.

Kiba rolled his eyes in annoyance, his face scrunched in an enraged scowl. "Oy vay. Another rowdy as hell, 'I can't stand my neighbor', complaint? If it's from that one lady on Elms Street I'm gonna be pissed. Man this sucks."

"Just drive Kiba. You'll live." Naruto said from his seat, flipping through his notes some more before turning to their clipboard sitting on the dash. Something told him it was going to be a long day.

--_**Two Hours Later**_—

The complaint hadn't come from the nasty woman on Elms, but a pissy looking man on Willow Avenue. Apparently, he was getting a little tired of the rock 'n roll enthusiast living on the floor above his. Understandably so since he had to talk loudly so the two could hear him telling his half of things. In his version, he'd warned the teen that if the music wasn't turned down, he'd have the kid thrown out or arrested for disturbing the peace. Now it looked like it was the latter as Naruto and Kiba made their way upstairs with the angry neighbor hot on their heels. Also according to the man, the music had been playing for almost an hour and after banging the broomstick handle against the ceiling hadn't worked, he'd decided to call the cops instead. While making their ascent, the music suddenly stopped but didn't pick up with another disc. Silence was all that met their ears. This lack of noise seemed to make bells in Naruto's head go off. Turning to the neighbor with a perfectly serious look on his face, the blonde looked him right in the eyes as he spoke.

"Can you think of any reason why it's not playing anymore?" he inquired, making the man blink in obvious clueless ness.

"No sir. Only that I'm glad it's off. I think my ears are ringing though." He said, quite apparently relieved that the pounding music had stopped.

But Naruto pressed on, his expression serious still. "Does your neighbor have a special history of any kind?"

The man shook his head, still confused about how such questions were relevant at this point. "I don't believe so. I wasn't listening when a few other neighbors welcomed him to the building. Why? Is something wrong?"

Naruto rubbed his chin, looking up at the ceiling with a suspicious look. "Maybe. Go downstairs and get the landlord up here with the key to his apartment. I don't feel like breakin' down doors. Kiba, you can find one of the other neighbors who might know this guy. I'll be tryin' to see if our guy can open the door by himself."

"And if not?" the brunette inquired, wondering what the blonde was getting at.

"Then we might have an emergency on our hands." He said, his tone a bit too serious to ignore.

This was enough to get the two other men moving down with Kiba following the man's instruction on banging on a particular door before vanishing as Naruto continued up again, this time making his legs go a little faster as his shoes thundered on the wooden steps as he hoped his assumptions were wrong. But something still felt way off. Like something about the calm silence that filled the air was definitely wrong. It wasn't long before he was standing in front of the door in question. Number 46B.

"Sir? Sir can you hear me?" he called through the wood, using one of his hands to see if it would open. No luck. It was locked tight. Most likely since the night before, considering the kind of people that walked around uninvited at night, proof that the teen on the other side was as cautious as he should be.

As he pounded on the door, Naruto listened for any verbal response from the other side. No answer. Just more eerie, prolonged silence and muffled traffic noises coming from outside. Most likely assisted by an open window somewhere. Naruto wasn't going to give up just yet as he used his tanned fist on the door once more, this time raising his voice a little louder.

"Sir? Sir we got a complaint from the neighbor downstairs about your music being too loud. Can you come to the door please? Sir?" he heard his voice echo through the hall and the other side of the apartment door. Still no response from the teen of any kind, only hearing more noise from outside and a silence that was making the blonde even more concerned by the second, making forced entry seem more and more necessary than five minutes ago. Just when he was about to start pounding away again, a voice behind him caught his attention.

"Naruto!" It was Kiba returning with a woman dressed in a turtleneck and a jean skirt that thoroughly hid her legs from view. She looked worried as hell. That and she had some kind of plastic bottle in her hands, colored orange with a white safety cap. Most likely some kind of prescription drug she'd been told to hold onto in case of emergencies. But what for Naruto had a feeling he was about to discover from his partner as she quickly vanished down the stairs again.

"Anything?" he asked, as if on cue.

Kiba's face was disturbingly grim as he nodded. "Plenty. The kid's got a record of epilepsy. We got to get that door open right now!"

It was worse than Naruto hoped it wouldn't be as he nearly exploded. "Shit! Where's the landlord?"

"No idea but the lady I just spoke with is callin' the paramedics right now." He said, coming a little closer to the blonde as he eyed the door with a concerned expression on his face.

Just then, the no longer pissy neighbor and a slightly overweight man came up the stairs, the second man being the landlord since he held a ring of keys in his hand. Seeing just how many keys were on the thing and taking the teen's possible condition into thought, Naruto didn't feel like waiting another minute.

With his face dead serious, he looked the large man right in the eye, leaving no room for argument. "I'm sorry sir but I don't think this can wait." The man saw no other choice but not nod as Naruto turned to his partner. "Kiba, if I fall over, run past me and find the kid. You got me?"

"Uh yeah but--!"

He didn't get a chance to say more as Naruto backed away far enough to touch the opposite wall before running forward, his left shoulder turned at an angle as he rushed at the door with all the speed and strength he could muster. It wasn't enough to break the door, but it was enough to make it crack and come close to splitting. His shoulder beginning to feel sore all over, Naruto ignored the pain and quickly set himself up for another hit. This time, the door broke.

Wood nearly went everywhere as Naruto fell to the floor, nearly tripping like a fool as he tried to regain his balance. A blue blur went past him as his mind registered Kiba heading right through the empty halls, looking into each room in search for their possible epileptic teen. Once Naruto was able to tell the floor from the ceiling, he followed the brunette as fast as he could, moving one or two rooms ahead of him as the two men stared inside from the main hallway. They found him half a minute later, sprawled on the floor, still shaking slightly from a recent episode, both cops having the sense to hold him down as he twitched somewhat violently where he lay.

Nearly ten minutes later, the paramedics came and went, the two men and the woman from downstairs gave statements which they signed and after another ten minutes, Naruto and Kiba were out on the street again, patrolling as usual. As a consultation to the landlord for not waiting for him to find the key, Naruto had offered to help pay for the door if things didn't work out that well. The man just said he'd give the blonde a call if push came to shove as he went about his business. Kiba and Naruto could only snicker as the woman scolded the once pissy man for not taking such actions sooner to assist the teen in his medical problem. Both knew he'd be getting earfuls for days even after the teen would be allowed to come home.

Once again in the car with Kiba behind the wheel, the brunette couldn't help but smirk at his partner seated next to him. "That was pretty cool. Didn't even need a battering ram."

Naruto's smile wasn't as enthusiastic as he leaned back in is seat. "Yeah and my shoulder's killing me."

"Like out of the socket killing or just sore as hell killing?" Kiba inquired, instantly concerned that they might have to head to the hospital for the second time that week.

The blonde shook his head. "I'm hoping it's the latter."

"Want to head over the hospital?" it was a valid question, making the brunette ready to make a turn at the next street so he could get his best friend there fast.

"Nah. If it was really that bad, I'd have been on the floor howling in pain by now don't you think?" Naruto suggested, his expression both amused and reassuring.

Kiba just rolled his eyes as he put his foot on the gas just as the light turned green as he calmly took them through the rest of their route for the day. When they thought it would go quietly, the crackle of the radio destroyed their hopes of just having a peaceful drive through town. As Naruto picked up the receiver, the brunette managed to pick up these words: "time to earn our paychecks."

The brunette just smiled, chuckling. "Amen to that man, amen to that."

--_**With Sasuke**_—

After finding some rather good food in the blonde's fridge, Sasuke had taken to lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling as he drifting through his thoughts. He had yet to tell the blonde cop of the strange dream/vision he had at the hospital the night before, mainly since he didn't know what to think of it. _Was it really a dream? Or am I finally going crazy or something?_

He sighed, rolling over to lie on his side, his dark eyes coming to stare at out the windows overlooking the river. Things had gotten too complicated way too fast in his mind, and he had no set way to compensate for the changes. More asleep than not, Sasuke fought off the urge to go to sleep by half walking, half limping to where Naruto had set his bag by the door. Kneeling and undoing the zipper, Sasuke began to calmly sort through his belongings in an efficient manner he'd put together in his head. Since washing in a river wasn't exactly sanitary and sneaking into a gym just for a nice hot shower felt less than worth getting spotted by cameras, the raven had forced himself to take occasional washes.

This activity included the bar of soap he purchased whenever the old one became too small or got misplaced and a few towels he was thankful he got cleaned a few days back. Picking out a set of clean clothes and fishing out his hair products, Sasuke made his way to where he'd located the bathroom, equipped with full bath and shower along with a toilet and a sink. All of which he needed to get truly clean for the first time in over eight months and close to three weeks. Closing the door behind him and stripping down to nothing, the raven stepped into heaven streaming down at full steam.

It took him almost an hour to feel fully free of the dirt and grime that might've caked on over all the time he'd been traveling across the state. And he was relieved to feel refreshed and ready for anything in over half a year of seeing sights that tourists would die trying to see. Where it would cost them hundreds of dollars, only cost him nearly getting caught in the rain, dealing with possibly dangerous wildlife, nearly getting nabbed by forest rangers before finally finding out there'd been a rather annoying rock in his shoe that'd been causing him close to four days of foot pain. In his mind, tourists got off lucky with how little they had to deal with while he, the guy who walked in the sun and slept on some nice feeling grass at night, dealt with more than his share of leisure and setbacks.

Now satisfyingly clean, Sasuke didn't know what else to do with his old clothes than to throw them into a nearby laundry hamper. Common sense at its best, thus logical actions being brought to mind as Sasuke let the thought of laundry pass from his mind as he made his way back towards the front of the apartment. Dressed down for once, Sasuke went through his bag again in search of his laptop, hoping that there was something decent going on that he could occupy his time with. The mobile computer only took seconds to load up all the way before Sasuke was calmly surfing the net, skimming a few of his old sites before going off to newer, more up-to-date ones.

This only lasted for about an hour and a half before Sasuke started to feel himself becoming sleepy again. He'd already eaten breakfast and had found something fairly decent to pass as lunch before skimming some more sites for something to do. But something told him this fatigue had something to do with some of the pain killers still in his systems, along with whatever other drugs the hospital staff had injected him with during his brief stay. Seeing no way of fighting it off, the raven shut his computer down before finding an extra blanket in a closet. Upon collapsing on the couch, the raven was out cold in mere minutes of shutting his eyes, the vague thought of when his police officer of a roommate would be returning barely getting across as sleep set in.

--_**With Naruto**_—

Shoulder close to beyond painful while his head still pounded from all the ruckus that'd come after, Naruto tried to sit at his desk as properly as he could. Kiba had managed to create a makeshift ice pack that alleviated the pain for a while. He'd taken an aspirin for his head and hoped it would travel to his shoulder while it was in his system as he went through that day's paperwork. Much to his relief, Kakashi hadn't stockpiled the most of it on him. But he did have the much expected, fearless nerve to spread it all over the office, all the way to the investigation department. Making it to where he wasn't the only one who would suffer writer's cramp later on that night.

Kiba was glaring at him from across their desks, his stare promising imminent death to where Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. Seeing the dog faced man acting so seriously so many times in the week felt all too funny to the blonde. "What're you staring at me like that for Kiba?"

"If this is your fault, I'll fucking kill you." He growled under his breath so that only Naruto could hear him. Naruto's chuckles became almost uncontrolled snickers.

"Oh please. I'm guessing he doesn't want anyone else keying in on what he's been doing lately. Unless everyone knows and he's punishing us." he said smiling with perfect innocence as he filled in a few more empty boxes, inwardly wincing at the pain pulsing through his fingers as he wrote.

"You better hope it's the latter Uzumaki." He heard the brunette growl again as he nearly sent his own palm through the desktop as he slammed another page down.

"And if it isn't?" Naruto inquired calmly, even though the thought of Kiba actually mad at him was a pretty scary thought in his mind. Never had he made the other man angry. On purpose anyway. But that's another story now isn't it? This line didn't water down the response he got, the anger still on edge of boiling over.

"I'll have your fucking head as a paperweight."

It was Kiba's turn to chuckle as Naruto paled, shivering at the thought of the brunette coming at him with a letter opener, intent on getting something rather interesting for his desk.

The rest of the day went fairly well for once, though on their second patrol around their route, the only issue that came up was when someone called in a slight disturbance only for it to turn out as a rather angry woman throwing her boyfriend his things at him from _her_ apartment as she called it. From almost two stories above the street, making clothes and appliances seem like oddly shaped and colored meteors compared to most things that fell from the sky. Obviously the boyfriend, now considered the ex, was the one having the bad day, standing on the sidewalk for all out to see him in his grey shirt and black and green plaid boxers.

After two hours of burning daylight and gas, the two were once again in civilian clothes and heading home. Kiba in his jeep with the hopes of getting to the hospital to pick up Hinata to the movies in time for the latest big feature, Naruto was more worried about choosing something edible to cook up for him and his new roommate. Finding a good mini mart that he'd gone into a time or two, he scanned the shelves for anything he thought might quench Sasuke's possibly acquired tastes. It was high time he restocked his fridge without Sakura's help anyway. Finally making his choices, the blonde decisively headed towards the counter, careful not to truly have his back to anyone there as he pulled out his wallet. Paying the required amount, the blonde grabbed his bagged items and headed out into the night.

--_**A Half Hour Later**_—

Getting home proved calm and casual. Something Naruto always loved when the city that never sleeps finally felt sleepy for once in its many years of being on the U.S. map. Taking the relaxing ride upwards before walking the almost dark halls to his front doorway, Naruto felt truly relaxed. Upon opening the door with the thought that his new roomie was around somewhere, he called out one word as he pulled his shoes off.

"Tadaima!" his voice echoed like he knew it would, a little surprised to see a head of black hair come into being from behind his couch.

"Okaeri dobe." Sasuke managed to grumble as he wiped the Sand Man's sand away from his eyes, looking a little miffed that the blonde had spoken so loud.

"Don't call me that! Teme." Naruto growled as he set his keys on the side table, hanging his coat on the rack before crossing over to the kitchen.

"Hn. What's that?" the raven inquired, nearly lying down again but holding himself up by his elbows.

Naruto could only chuckle as he set the plastic bags down on the counter, soon sticking a hand inside to remove the contents therein. "Dinner if you're hungry Mr. Sleepy Head."

The raven blinked but shrugged, pulling himself to where he was seated properly on the piece of furniture, hands still ridding sleep from his face. From what Naruto could see, he was still a little pale, small bags edging into existence under his midnight black eyes. A sign that he not only needed more rest, but the raven definitely needed more food in his stomach. Trying to keep the concern from showing too much in his voice, the blonde decided it was high time he asked.

"When was that last time you ate?" he inquired from behind the island counter, only glancing up from his work to observe the raven from afar.

Sasuke blinked, looking thoughtful as he spoke. "Around… 1:30. Why?"

"You look like shit." Naruto said, not helping but being purely blunt.

He nodded, finally getting to his feet. "And I feel like it too."

Naruto could only nod in turn. "I bet. C'mon over here. Get something down you're throat."

"Just as long as it's not pasty and tastes like cardboard." He said as he walked into the room, snagging a stool and sat down on the opposite side.

This only made the blonde instantly concerned about the other man, giving him a suspicious glance. "Are you sure you actually ate today?"

The raven just nodded, letting a hand cup his face as he leaned on it, an elbow sitting on the counter. "Yeah. I had some bacon and eggs at least an hour after you left and then a roast beef sandwich at… 1:30ish. But the cardboard thing's from the hospital shit they tried to feed me."

Naruto was nodding again as he manned the stove, watching the food in the pan he'd placed there begin to sizzle and change color. "I know what you mean."

It was Sasuke's turn to look suspicious. "Really? How so?"

"Some drugged up idiot was wavin' a razor at us, well me mainly but still!" the blonde chuckled at the memory as Sasuke sat quietly in wait for him to continue. "He's wavin' this thing around like it's a broadsword or somethin' and next I know, he's managed to get me all down my arm when I tried to grab his hands. I had to get at least twenty stitches for that."

The raven winced, something in his eyes flashing before it vanished. "Ouch."

Naruto, if he'd seen it, didn't react as he went on. "Ouch is right. I think I may have punched his lights out. He was pretty submissive after that little bit."

A delicate eyebrow rose as Sasuke's expression finally shifted again. "That's… going overboard."

Naruto was too busy laughing to notice the change. "I got an earful for it the next day but Kiba--."

Sasuke was quick to cut him off. "Who's Kiba?"

The blonde blinked, the thought never occurring to him before it finally clicked as he turned away from the food to look at Sasuke. "Kiba? He's my partner! You met him before you got shot."

Sasuke remained silent for half a minute before nodding as the memory of the brunette came forward. "Oh. Continue."

"Anyway, Kiba's crackin' up, laughin' his head off about it for a week before he finally gets his arm broken by some drunk-as-hell, slurrin', staggerin' mess of a guy carryin' a crowbar around like a baseball bat while tryin' to walk down the street like it's a normal thing!" the blonde practically cackled as he stirred the food a little with a wooden spoon he'd conjured from nowhere.

"What'd you do about it?" Sasuke inquired, truly curious about the outcome of the brunette's ordeal.

"I laughed my ass off for a week and half." Naruto said with an innocent smile before turning his back on the stunned raven, unaware of the light pink blush that'd spread across the raven's face.

The two ate their meal in silence, Naruto hiding his surprise at how Sasuke didn't wolf his meal down as if it'd vanish if he didn't get to it fast enough. Instead the man just ate it as if he were used to getting something as basic as chicken teriyaki with rice and veggies on the side. Later, after Naruto cleared the table and Sasuke forced the blonde out so he could do the sink dishes, the cop decided he didn't smell all that well. Heading down the hall towards the bathroom, Naruto finally received a well-earned shower.

After over thirty minutes of soap and steam, Naruto exited the small tile room in a pair of boxers and a shirt he'd located as he used an extra towel to dry his hair. While in the bathroom, Naruto had indeed noticed that Sasuke hadn't used any that were already in there, suggesting that he had some of his own stashed somewhere. _Did this guy have all he needs right from the start? Or is he just that smart to find replacements?_

Leaving such thoughts be, Naruto headed back towards the living room where he found Sasuke already sitting on the couch again, reading a book he'd obviously found while exploring his new home turf. The blonde couldn't help but smirk at how quickly the raven-haired man had made himself comfortable in his apartment. But something about the scene felt a little off. Something needed to change.

"You need a bed." He said suddenly, apparently catching the raven off guard by how he jumped in surprise, nearly dropping the book in the process.

"Huh? What?" Sasuke inquired, not really sure he heard the blonde quite right.

Naruto just smirked, indicating the hallway behind him with his head. "C'mon. I might have a room you can use. Better than the couch I assure ya."

"Uh… being on the couch's just fine with me. Really. You don't--." Sasuke managed to get out before Naruto cut him off.

"Well I think I do! Since you're gonna be livin' here, you might as well live normally and like a human being." He said as he walked confidently down the hall, stopping and turning to look the raven in the eye and say. "You are normal right?"

"Haha very funny." Sasuke growled before the blonde turned away. "I'm serious though."

"So am I." Naruto said with the same undeterred confidence, opening a door diagonal from his own bedroom door.

"Do I even have a say in this?!" Sasuke said, exasperated that the blonde man just wasn't listening to a word he was saying.

"Not really. My house, remember?" Naruto queried, a fox-like grin spreading across his face at the raven.

Sasuke blinked, staring a minute or two before finally sighing in defeat. "Ugh. Fine. Since you're so insistent."

"That's better. Not so hard now was it?" Naruto said happily, the grin becoming a kind smile as he entered the newly opened door. "Now hurry up. You've been on that leg too long anyway."

If the blonde had confused him before, he was absolutely puzzling now. Getting him set up in his new room only took nearly ten minutes, the two working to rid the room of the dust and boxes that crowded it. With a kind smile and a wave, Naruto shut the door behind him, leaving Sasuke to himself in what appeared to be the second bedroom, a rarely used futon unfolded to stand near the middle of the room while a bureau stood not far away, empty and waiting. Seeing no other choice, Sasuke began to unpack his bag, his clothes filling the empty drawers. Within the hour, the raven was lying in the dark, his dark eyes staring up at the ceiling as he let his thoughts drift and sleep conquer for the second time that day.

Yeah I should stop while I'm ahead. This chapter's long enough as is right? I think so too if anybody agrees with me. Time for another chapter anyway. Makin' this one longer than it should be would be overdoing it. Shoulda thought of that when I was doin' chapter 2…. Oh well. There's actually a note today! What're the odds huh? Don't worry. It's a pretty short one so if you figured it out beforehand, you don't have to read it if you guys don't feel like it. But to those who've no clue, read it:

1) _Nineteen year old_: last I checked, Sasuke's birthday is June 23rd. To make up for this, if I got it right, Sasuke turned twenty at least four months ahead of Naruto whose birthday's in October. The tenth I think it was. Besides, having my two favorite characters being different ages is just weird to me. Just plain weird.

That's about it for now since I kinda need to move on and all that jazz. I hope you guys enjoy what I've put up so far. Reviews are much needed right now when I think about it. It saddens me when everybody up and plays the 'quiet critic' game. Not funny y'all, not funny. But in the meantime, deal with this heads up/teaser for my next chapter for '_Drifting No More_':

Next chapter:

Chapter 4: Daily Distractions

Naruto and Sasuke seem to be getting off in the right foot. But something's still making Sasuke uncomfortable about how nice everybody's favorite blonde is being to him, especially when he hardly knows the guy! Can Sasuke cope with the changes going on around him? Or will his unease for the blonde make things turn for the worst? But is he actually uneasy? Could he be feeling something else entirely? Will I tell you? NEVER! Well… not never but still! I won't say! Just find out next time in:

_**Chapter 4: Daily Distractions!!**_


	4. Chapter 4: Daily Distractions

I'm back with yet another chapter for the masses who actually care that I exist! Happy? Okay then! On to business! I just hope that this chapter's just as good as the last three I posted so far. But also… hopefully listening to Barenaked Ladies CD's over and over won't affect my brain too much. Eh. It's my brain. Probably messed up anyway. On to the disclaimer! I don't own Naruto in any shape or form, though a Sasuke plushie would be cool with me.

"Iii" speech

"_Iii_" radio speech

_Iii_ thought

Chapter 4: Daily Distractions

A few days had gone by, the two men were actually getting along pretty well even if they did have their moments. Sasuke was normally the first one up, therefore he had to make breakfast while Naruto either slept until his alarm went off or he got up early to shower ahead of time. The raven's leg had been slowly healing and his sleeping spells happened less often and, much to his relief, didn't take hours on end to finish. Naruto felt glad he'd made his offer to the raven-haired man back at the hospital now that he had someone other than his shadow or Kiba to help him get up in the mornings. Mainly since there'd been times where Kiba had to come over and get his ass out of bed when he slept in by accident.

He'd also noticed that Sasuke was limping less when he walked, meaning that his leg was healing up like it was supposed to. Something that meant the raven would be ready to either go back to the hospital to get it checked out or go out and find a job…. He hated thinking about the other option for some reason, a reason he couldn't define. _Or go out and never come back…._

The thought of Sasuke leaving had actually become completely foreign to Naruto at this point. Even though the man had been living with him for almost a week, seeing the man leave didn't seem like something the blonde could even think of happening. _But then again… I can't exactly force him to stay with me. That'd be somethin' a crazy person would do. No… I'll let him decide. He's every right to leave if he wants to._ He thought as he gripped the steering wheel of his car as he drove to work in a light autumn rain. The weather had been clear, if not slightly cloudy, making the sunshine come in golden compared to its burning white. Truly lovely weather, especially if the air had a nice snappish feel to it, making one's skin crawl in a good way.

With the roads a little slick, Naruto had been careful driving the normally bustling streets of New York City. Even other motorists, taxi drivers included, were smart enough to go a little slower to avoid collisions or any other kind of accidents. Something Naruto breathed a little easier over as he put his car in park and shut it off before stepping out into the cold. Winter was still creeping in, but autumn seemed to be holding it at bay for the moment since the winds still weren't as deviously cold as last year. _Thank god for small miracles._ He thought as he climbed the steps leading up the precinct.

Upon reaching the locker room, he was greeted by a familiar face known only as Kiba Inuzuka. "Hey Naruto. Ready for a day of hell?"

"You know it dude." The blonde said with a smile as he opened his own locker not far from Kiba's. "How'd your date go?"

Not turning around, Kiba nodded with a grin on his mug. "Pretty well. I'm surprised Hinata's so willin' to go out with a guy like me."

The blonde just chuckled, glancing at his partner as sarcasm filled his tone. "Be careful. Think about what kind of family members she's got."

Kiba just rolled his eyes, knowing that Naruto was messing with him. "I know, I know. That Neji guy's really creepy. Isn't he our coroner?"

It didn't take long for Naruto to produce an answer. "Nah. He's with the investigative department on the other side of the building. I think he nearly became the coroner though."

"Dude! That'd be really crappy!" Kiba said laughing before changing his voice a little to imitate someone older and gruffer than him. "'I'm sorry but you've registered for our new coroner. Are you sure you gave us the right transcript?'"

"Oh dude that's rich!" Naruto managed to say through his cackles of amusement.

"Tell me about it." Kiba said, trying to keep his own chuckles down a notch.

When the laughter had died down, Naruto decided to inquire. "So you gonna ask her out again?"

He chuckled at the response he got at his question. "Hell yeah! I'm surprised you didn't jump when she gave you an opportunity."

"Didn't we go over this last time?" Naruto jibbed, his tone warning the man off.

Kiba rolled his eyes, knowing it was now taboo. "Yeah, yeah. What're you gonna do about that drifter dude livin' at your place though?"

This question caught him completely off guard. "Huh?"

"You know who I'm talkin' about!" the brunette said, obviously annoyed at how the blonde responded like an idiot. "What's his name? Sasuke? Yeah that's it! Is he there to stay or not?"

Once he thought this over more clearly, Naruto could only shrug as he pulled his work shoes on. "Dunno. I haven't asked the guy. Wouldn't surprise me if he left before I come home tonight."

Kiba was soon rolling his eyes again. "I'm tellin' ya dude, just ask him. He seemed kinda weird when I talked to 'em but… if he wants to stick around, I'm cool with that. Just as long as he don't try nothin' with ya."

One of Naruto's eyebrows went up at the brunette's statement. "Do you think he's some kind of mass murderer?"

This caught him by surprise. "What? No! I'm just bein' cautious here."

"Then don't say stuff like that!" Naruto growled, mock glaring at the other man as he finished buttoning his shirt. "He's been at my place for almost a week and he hasn't done anything yet. I'm tellin' you he's harmless."

"Before or after he took down two guys with weapons by himself?" Kiba deadpanned, though he seemed to be smirking.

Naruto had obviously seen he smirk as he snapped. "Kiba!"

"Okay, okay." they left it alone after that as they left the locker room to make the three-minute journey to the briefing room.

--_**Half An Hour Later**_—

"Let me try and understand this: you let me drive in rainy weather but you hate it when I drive when we get involved in a chase?" Naruto had to ask as he waited for the light to turn green, giving his partner the most confused look he could muster.

Kiba just scowled, nearly sticking his tongue out at the blonde. "Dude, I have a jeep. That thing's wheels have some awesome traction. This car however, I know not of but I dare not risk it. Besides, either way, driving in this kind of weather freaks the living shit outta me."

Naruto just rolled his eyes, smirking in amusement. "Okay, okay you scaredy dog. I won't let the evil weather get to you."

"Shut up! It's not funny Uzumaki!" Kiba snapped, on edge of punching the blonde's lights out.

The blonde just started to chuckle. "Sure it isn't."

"I mean it!" Kiba protested, the urge to punch the other man becoming hard to resist as the blonde continued to laugh.

His anger escalated when Naruto spoke in a mockingly childish voice. "Don't worry little puppy! Big brother Naruto'll make everything all better!"

"Dammit I said shut up!" Kiba growled, actually punching the blonde in the arm in the hopes of saving his dignity.

Naruto was too busy laughing to notice just how pissed his friend looked at that moment. But both were distracted when the radio came on, the female's voice sounding off once again. "_All units: a collision has been reported on 5__th__ and Main Street._"

Kiba was quick to grab the receiver, holding the call button down while Naruto quickly found the button that turned on their sirens, turning the wheel so to go around the cars in front of them. "Home Base this is car 544 reporting with an E.T.A of ten minutes or less to reach the crash site. What's the status? Over."

The woman's voice quickly responded. "_Roger that 544. Additional units are gathering now. It's what appears to be a five-car pileup. One or two are reported to be over turned and possibly on fire. Over._"

"Jesus!" the brunette snapped before gathering himself well enough to respond. "We copy you Home Base. Over and out."

Putting the receiver down, they both sat in silence, as the only noise that broke it was the sound of their sirens. Finally, Kiba said. "Yeah today's gonna be hell."

"Don't we know it?" Naruto said calmly as he sharply turned a corner, their sirens wailing as if crying in sorrow over the light rain that pounded on their windshield.

--_**With Sasuke**_—

It'd been almost three hours since Naruto had left for work, and Sasuke was seated calmly on the couch as the TV blared with the latest news and weather. He'd been flipping through the channels, slightly tempted to turn it back to A&E so to hear a British narrator talk about Viking lore. Slightly but not fully tempted. As interesting as history could be, Sasuke didn't feel like getting a lecture from a bunch of people who probably had their facts a little backwards. So he'd chosen going back and forth between the news and some show about people getting caught in the most unlikely situation. It wasn't everyday you saw a pissed off druggie take on four cops with just a screwdriver.

On top of that, his thoughts kept drifting back to what'd happened at the hospital before Naruto had come to get him. _Was I really dreaming? Or was he actually there, talking to me even though I wasn't really awake? And what did he mean by 'the truth'? Is there something he knows about that I don't? I could ask Naruto about this. No, then he'll want to know all that I know. I can't expose him to something like that._

Unfortunately, his inner self begged to differ as it began to shout at him. _**But think about it! He's a cop, you're a civilian with a problem! He probably has all sorts of connections all over the place! People he can trust that can help you figure things out! C'mon! At least give it a try for once in your damn life!**_

Even though he was by himself, Sasuke still shook his head. _No. He might get hurt. I don't want that to happen. Besides, he's trusted me this far by letting me live here. Telling him about it would be like stabbing him in the back._

The voice in his head just became aggravated. _**So would not telling him! If you don't tell him, he'll feel betrayed and then he'll hate your guts like no tomorrow.**_

Sasuke scowled at himself. _Okay, if you're so smart, how should I tell him? Tell me that!_

_**Sorry, I'm just your conscious. I can't exactly do all the work around here.**_ The voice chided.

_Then at least give me a hint!_ Sasuke almost shouted out loud.

The voice said nothing for a moment before speaking up again. _**Be casual ya know? Find the right moment, get him interesting and bing bada boom! You've told him the one thing that's been haunting you this whole time.**_

_Why do I get the feeling this is gonna be harder than it sounds?_ He thought in annoyance, hating the fact his own conscious was so useless.

_**Because life isn't fair, even you should know that by now.**_ The voice didn't say anything after that.

Left to his thoughts, Sasuke let to British narrator blab on about Vikings and their superstitions before they learned to do other things than just go out and kill, rape or steal anything within their range.

--_**Meanwhile, With Naruto**_—

As they pulled up to the scene, they knew it was going to be a long day indeed. Cars were backed up for almost three blocks, and one was actually turned over, but another was threatening to burst into flame. With someone still behind the wheel, motionless and possibly unconscious or dead, any cries of concern towards him or her falling on deaf ears. Both of them hoped it was the former of those possibilities. Stepping out of the car and into the light autumn rain, Kiba set off to help a man staunch a leak in his gas tank as his engine gave off wave after wave of blackish grey smoke and heat. Naruto was heading straight for the unconscious driver in the hopes of getting the person awake, or just to drag them out in time.

Coming close enough to the car to feel the heat rising from inside, Naruto pulled off one of his gloves to tap on the glass of the window with his bare knuckles, watching the person closely for any reactions. No response. He began tapping again, this time accompanying it with his voice. "Hey! HEY! Can you hear me?"

When the figure still didn't move, Naruto straightened to look around in time to spot a woman nearby on her cell phone. "Hey! Hey lady! Call for an ambulance and the fire department will ya?"

She blinked at him, her mouth moving as she ended her present call. But instead of pressing buttons, she put the phone away to say. "I already did. They should be on their way right now."

Nodding his approval, Naruto didn't take his eyes off her as he turned around to tap on the window again. "Okay. That's good enough for me."

"Is that man alright?" she called, taking a few steps forward, appearing truly concerned.

The blonde rounded on her, his face and voice completely serious, making her blink and jump back some. "I don't know but get back! This car is threatening to blow!"

"Hey officer! Can you help me? My wife's not moving!" a man called from several cars over, making Naruto turn on him as well. Little did they know that they were making him a little irritated.

"Sir get back! This isn't safe!" he practically barked, catching the man off guard as the car he'd approached went momentarily forgotten. "An ambulance is on its way right now so please be patient but I'm telling you get back! Can you do that please? Sheesh."

The man suddenly pointed to something behind him, his face showing horror as he called out again. "Officer!"

Sadly Naruto wasn't listening. "GET BACK DAMMIT! I SAID--!"

Before he could say much more, the car next to him began to ignite, flames exploding into existence, quickly turning metal and plastic black and smoldering from the destructive heat. Its force was enough to make him fall onto the pavement in a heap of limbs and cloth, nearly hitting his head on the ground as he felt his vision cloud almost as if he were extremely dizzy. He vaguely heard a woman scream and a man yelling something about a fire, making Naruto's mind click back into action as he remembered what he'd been doing to begin with. _The car! Fuck!_

He tried to get to his feet, only to find his sense of coordination had been misplaced, as he only seemed to fall over again. Hopefully no one was mistaking him for a druggie on his latest high. Trying again, he succeeded in getting to his feet only to see the car he'd approached with the unconscious person inside was almost ablaze. And smoke was slowly making its way into the interior of the car. Protocol be damned, Naruto pulled out his nightstick (police baton. Can't remember what it's really called but yeah, it's a nightstick for the moment. Deal with it) and bashed in the window, letting shattered glass go everywhere. Reaching inside, Naruto's gloved hand fumbled along the side of the door, looking for the lock.

Finding it, he quickly pushed the little mechanism in the opposite direction before pulling his hand out to pull the handle. His silent prayers were answered when the door swung open, though he was nearly thrown off balance since he was still feeling the effects of the explosion. Getting a grip on both his lost balance and the now open door, Naruto used his ungloved hand to check for the man's vitals, thankful to find a pulse and there weren't any breaks that he could find. He'd gotten a few nasty beating in his high school years, so one could say that he knew what he was dealing with. Still a little dizzy from his recent fall, Naruto forced the seatbelt to yield before grabbing the man under his shoulders and pulling him out of the flaming vehicle. Only then did he notice that his sleeve was lightly smoldering.

--_**With Kiba**_—

He'd been attacking one of the cars with a fire extinguisher for almost five minutes, letting the safety foam encase itself on every surface it touched. After dealing with the gas leak, he was breathing a little easier. Much to his horror, he then noticed that Naruto was still by the other car, dealing with two very annoying civilians. Completely unaware that the car he'd approached was starting to let off more smoke than before. He nearly dropped the extinguisher, the blonde's name almost out of his mouth when the car suddenly burst into flames. So hard, the hood of the car popped open, letting out even more fire as Naruto was thrown to the ground in a flash of light and sound.

The woman he'd been speaking to screamed in horror, nearly running off only to stop and pull out her phone again, quickly dialing as the man called out as he came running forward, weaving in and out of cars. Before he could go further, Kiba managed to call out to him. "Sir! SIR STOP!"

The man did stop, looking at Kiba as if he were crazy. Not waiting for an answer from the now confused civilian, Kiba kept talking. "Stay by your car! Do you understand me? Stay by your car!"

Reluctantly, the man went back to his own car where his wife sat motionless in the passenger's seat and her face hidden by her dark hair. Looking away from the unconscious woman and her confused husband, Kiba saw Naruto attempting to get to his feet only to fail but try again. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when the blonde finally got back on his feet. But instead of coming away from the flaming car like he thought he would, Naruto just pulled out his baton and bashed the window in. He would've called out to the blonde if not for the fact that the man he'd been assisting cried out in a panic, his words jumbled as he ran from his own car. Turning to see what'd scared him, his eyes widened when he saw the leak had not only started up again, but it'd gotten worse than before.

_Oh shit._ Bringing the fire extinguisher into a better position, Kiba watched the stinky liquid slowly make its way across the wet concrete, fully prepared to douse it in foam if it even sparked. Too late. It was too close to the car and its heated surfaces, making his only chance of keeping it from lighting up would to either foam the source, or foam the car. And he knew he couldn't do both. Looking around, he saw Naruto stumbling away from his own flaming car with a figure in his arms. Sighing in relief, Kiba decided to return his full attention back to the gasoline on the ground that had crawled its way a few inches further.

Suddenly, the blonde was right next to him, looking like he'd just gotten out of bed with a seriously bad dream to boot. What he said made no sense to him at first. "I think I'm burning."

"What?" Kiba exclaimed, not truly understanding. The blonde looked fine, other than his face of course.

Naruto never noticed the small trickle of blood coming down from his hair as it traveled almost like sweat down the side of his face. "I think I'm _burning_!" he nearly shouted, giving his partner the good ol' 'are you a dumb ass?' look.

The words finally making sense, Kiba went into full concern mode. "What? Where?"

Naruto almost rolled his eyes. Almost. "My arm! Is my arm burning?!"

Eyes dropping to the blonde's right arm, Kiba instantly saw small baby flames licking the fabric of the blonde's jacket almost as if it were candy. He didn't hesitate to point the fire extinguisher at his partner as he cursed. "Shit!"

As the foam coated his limb, Naruto could only slump his shoulders and nod in agreement to the brunette's response. "Yeah, shit's right."

Both breathing a little easier, Kiba looked down to find a man lying on his back with his eyes closed. He wasn't moving. "That guy okay?"

Naruto nodded again, leaning against a nearby car. "I think so. I'm no doctor but I think he's just knocked out."

"Anything broken?" the brunette inquired not helping but feel it was a valid inquiry.

The blonde just shook his head at the question. "Not that I could see. What now?"

Kiba looked around, not even bothering to look at the flaming car. "Find another extinguisher. I'll be damned if I'm sent flying like you were."

Naruto nodded. "And I don't wanna be tossed twice in the same hour. I'm battered and bruised enough as it is."

"I hear that."

Without another word, the two men went their separate ways, weaving in and out of cars to do what they'd signed up for. Going off in opposite directions, Naruto went to fight the car that'd exploded on him, with quickly Kiba going off to see about the nearly hysterical man and his unconscious wife.

--_**With Kakashi**_—

_I'm soooo bored! When do I get to leave already?!_ The silver haired man sighed as he flopped over his desk in absolute boredom. _Even the exams at the academy weren't this boring!_ As he sat there, his single eye staring at his office wall, Kakashi let his thoughts wander a little.

_Hmm… I wonder what Naruto's doing?_ He shook his head at himself, knowing well the blonde was most likely still fuming. _No, he's off on patrol with Kiba…. Maybe I can mess with Iruka… no, he'd just get angry at me. That's the last thing I want since he's still kinda miffed when Naruto told him about what I'd been doing that past week or so. Making him even more irritated with me is definitely a bad idea._

He couldn't help but shiver at the memory of seeing his 'Ruka all red in the face with anger, saying he'd spoken with Naruto. Apparently did the blonde not only figure out what they'd been doing, but was a bit angry at being forced to do his work for him rather than do it himself. It was something he didn't want to experience twice in the same month. Even more to his personal distress, the fact he hadn't been able to calm the brunette down like he normally could was even more disturbing. But thankfully not by much since the scar faced man just fumed for almost two hours, never saying a word before announcing that dinner was ready. Kakashi felt like he would step on eggshells or needles at any given moment.

Knowing that having the rest of the office do his work for him was a bad idea now that two very close people were watching his every move, Kakashi Hatake could only sit at his desk and vaguely wonder if he should just take a nap or actually do the paperwork that was due over an hour before. But when a loud knock sounded off at his door, he knew the nap was out of the question.

Sitting up a little and snatching a pen, Kakashi pretended to be looking over a piece of paperwork as he half shouted. "Come in."

"Kakashi-taicho?" the voice made him look up to see Neji looking in with a manila folder in his hand.

Truly curious, Kakashi gave the raven his full attention. "Hm? What is it?"

"I was looking through the records today and I found something you might want to take a look at." The Hyuga said coolly as he fully entered the room, shutting the door with a soft click behind him.

His curiosity was at its peak as a delicate eyebrow was lifted into the air. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"Well sir, it involves Naruto and his new roommate." Neji said in the same cool voice as he claimed one of the chairs opposite Kakashi's side of the desk.

_Naruto? And his roommate? What roommate? He has a roommate now?_ He thought, giving the Hyuga the most confused expression he could muster. "I'm sorry but I don't follow you. What roommate?"

Not even missing a beat, Neji chose then to explain. "Well, do you remember the guy that got shot in the attempted robbery last week?"

Rubbing his chin, the police chief nodded a little. "I think I do. Why?"

"Well, the guy that got shot… is staying with Naruto." The raven said calmly, deciding it was high time he said it bluntly.

Kakashi, on the other hand, was truly surprised by this. "Really? Huh. I wonder why he didn't tell me."

"I'm sure he had good reason sir." Neji deadpanned.

The silver haired man forced himself not to chuckle nervously. "So what'd you find out about this 'roommate' of his exactly?"

Neji did something he rarely did. He hesitated before speaking again. "Well… I'm not really sure what to think of it but, since you are the captain, I thought you'd might want to look at it."

This only made Kakashi fairly irritated. "Neji, it's not like you to beat around the bush. Either spit it out or get out of my office."

With a sigh, the Hyuga leaned forward and set the manila folder down, quietly watching as the silver haired man picked it up and flipped it open. Instantly upon reading what he saw there, he almost dropped the folder in his shock as he barely noticed how wide his visible eye had become. Neji didn't even flinch as he spoke up in the man's shocked silence. "And that's only page one of a few other rather thick files I managed to track down on this guy. Apparently he's got himself a really bad case of bad luck."

Kakashi struggled to keep his voice steady as he kept his eye trained on the contents of the folder, forcing his hands to not shake like leaves. "Does…does Naruto know about all this?"

Neji shook his head, remaining perfectly composed. "I doubt it. Maybe the guy can't bring himself to tell him yet."

"Find him." Kakashi growled, almost too low for the Hyuga to hear.

"Sir?" the raven inquired, his blank expression furrowing with worry.

The silver haired captain slammed the folder down as he nearly rose from his seat in seething rage. "Find this guy now! I want to have a word with him."

Hoping to calm the man down, Neji let his voice be heard through the older man's curses and rage filled threats being thrown at no one in particular. "Sir, I don't think that's wise right now."

"And why is that?" the man snapped, coming out of his fit of anger to refocus his attention on the raven in front of him.

Neji tried not to blink as he spoke. "For one thing, if his past's as dangerous as this file suggests, why hasn't Naruto reported him or turned him in?"

"Meaning?" Kakashi growled, his single eye still shining menacingly.

The raven dared not let his blank face slip. "Meaning, that it's possible that there's more to this than meets the eye."

"Which only tells me you're beating around the bush again Hyuga." Kakashi warned, making the Hyuga shiver but continue.

"Sir, I'm telling you, if this guy can't give it to Naruto straight, then and only then do we have the right to barge in and say what needs to be said. I only brought this to your attention because I thought it necessary for when and if Naruto's life is put in jeopardy for no apparent reason."

Only then did Kakashi actually connected the dots between Neji's words and the folder's contents. "I see." The man relaxed, flipping the folder closed as he eyed it with a concentration the raven had never seen before. "Fine, but I'll be wanting those other files later on. I want to know exactly what we're dealing with."

"Hai, hai." Neji said as he rose from his seat, pausing in his exit. "Oh and Kakashi-taicho?"

Blinking, the silver haired man looked up at the Hyuga. "Nani?"

"Your pen's upside down." He said before shutting the door behind him.

Looking at his writing hand, Kakashi was shocked to find it was true. He could only slap himself in the forehead as he said only one thing. "Fuck."

--_**With Kiba**_—

Hospitals were turning out to be real hangouts for those of the civil services. The kind that no one really wanted to be in unless some managed to run them over but only cause a month's worth of physical damage. Then they would have plenty of time off to wonder if they'll be able to get back on the job or forced into retirement a good ten years or so earlier than planned. But thankfully, neither man would be in said hospital for that length of time, though Hayate noted that Naruto would probably have to stay the night for observation purposes. Leaving Kiba with strict orders from said blonde to head back to the station to report in, only to leave again for Naruto's apartment to tell Sasuke what'd happened and then come back early the next morning with a new set of clean clothes for the blonde to wear.

And the threat of a lifetime to top the whole thing off if the brunette didn't do exactly as Naruto commanded. A little depressed that his evening had become a little screwy, Kiba walked with a slight droop of his shoulders as he stuck the key into the door of his jeep. _Now I gotta go to Naruto's place and talk with this Sasuke guy. I wonder how he's doin' anyway? I haven't seen him since after he got shot… I just hope the guy's up for a little surprise visit._

The drive was a short and uneventful one, much to his surprise. Along with the fact that the scenery, despite the hour, was unexpectedly amazing as Kiba drove down the empty streets towards Naruto's apartment complex. He could only wonder if the blonde got a to experience something like this every night after work. The brunette had to catch himself from driving past the building, since the almost dreamy feel of the autumn night air had him in a bit of a trance. Once on the elevator, Kiba tried to come up with things to say. _Let's see… 'Hi I'm Kiba and I'm hear to tell you that my partner's not gonna be home tonight because he nearly got blown up by a flaming car.' Yeah that's not really gonna go well with this guy. Maybe I could say… no…. Yeah I'm fucked._

The little bell went of with a small ping noise as the ten-year-old doors slid open to reveal a long hallway. As Kiba headed towards what he knew to be the blonde's apartment door, he searched his pockets for the key Naruto had given him. _Found it!_ He thought in his personal triumph just as he came to stand in front of the door, staring at the dark wood with its golden numbers screwed onto it. With some newfound confidence, Kiba proceeded to unlock the door and step inside to find: an empty living room.

_Where the hell is this guy?_ Kiba thought as he shut the door and pocketing the key again, looking around a little confused. "Anybody here? Hello?" he called into the silence, dog-like eyes darting every which way in search of the raven-haired man he'd spoken to about a week or so before.

"Hey." A voice said suddenly, nearly making the brunette jump out of his boots as he turned to find an almost ghostly face not far from his.

"GAH!"

Said face just raised an eyebrow before its stoic features furrowed a little, midnight black eyes swarming with curiosity and recognition. "You're Kiba right?"

"Where'd the fuck you come from?!" Kiba yelled as he tried to stop his heart from beating at the speed of light.

Not even fazed, Sasuke just looked more curious than concerned. "How'd you get in?" he looked around before turning back to Kiba. "Where's Naruto?"

Kiba just bristled at the question, pointing an accusing finger in the raven's direction as he snapped. "Answer my question first dammit!"

"From down the hall." Sasuke deadpanned, his face going blank, making Kiba's expression turn sour from his own stupidity. "You wouldn't know that since you were looking the other way."

_I swear this guy's a living ghost. Nearly gave me a heart attack!_ Kiba thought to himself as he managed to get a grip on himself, giving the raven an irritated look. "Jesus. Don't do that again will ya? Coulda killed me, sneakin' up on me like that! Damn! You a fuckin' ninja or somethin'?"

The eyebrow was lifted once again, Sasuke's monotone voice sending bursts of annoyance through Kiba's systems. "You're big on swearing aren't you?"

"Who gives a fuck?" he growled, showing just how frustrated he was with the man in front of him.

Not even flinching at the man's irritated reaction, Sasuke merely seemed to float towards the kitchen, his socked feet not even making a noise on the wooden floors. "You do apparently."

"You're really creepy you know that?" Kiba said, taking his turn to deadpan as he followed the raven-haired man across the room.

"Not something I haven't heard before." Sasuke said coolly as he started sifting through the cupboards, getting out a pot or two before moving on to the food cabinet.

A bit unnerved at the lack of reaction, Kiba sweat dropped as he stared at the other man's back. "Yeah… you're one creepy dude."

"Where's Naruto?" Sasuke decided to ask again, the look of concern returning to his amazingly smooth features.

Kiba was never really a liar, and this guy looked like he actually cared where the blonde was, making the brunette decide to be blunt. "At the hospital."

"What for?" his expression deepened, something flashing in his eyes that made Kiba feel almost… _sympathetic_ for some reason.

"Nearly got blown up." He said calmly, not sure why he left out the part with the blonde trying to get an unconscious man out of said exploded vehicle.

"Is he okay?" Sasuke's voice seemed to shake a little, making Kiba almost hesitant in answering him.

"Yeah. But they kept him for observation though." Forcing himself not to look down at the raven's leg, Kiba decided to inquire. "What about you?"

Sasuke just appeared confused by the sudden question. "Huh?"

"Your leg… I mean, is it healing okay?" the brunette asked again, looking a little sheepish as he scratched the back of his head, turning his gaze to the wall.

Finally understanding, Sasuke just nodded. "I can walk just fine, though I sometimes limp a little. I'm sure Naruto wanted to take me back to have it checked out."

Kiba had to hide his astonishment at the man's words, instantly recalling the very conversation he'd had with Naruto sometime that morning. Did he hear that right? _Is he some kind of mind reader? No way. That's not possible. But still… this guy's somethin' else._ "How long you gonna be stayin' anyway?"

Caught off guard again, Sasuke could only inquire. "Come again?"

"How long? I mean... this is only temporary right?" Kiba didn't know why, but this question just needed to be asked in his mind.

Sasuke actually looked thoughtful, his midnight black eyes staring off into space before finally nodding. "Unless I can't find a place of my own, yeah it's temporary." His eyes narrowed suspiciously, sharper than laser beams cutting into Kiba's skin. "Why? You think I'm going to be trouble?"

"No, no! I'm just… ya know, just askin'." He said, holding up his hands to shield himself from a verbal attack.

This seemed to make Sasuke's irritation dissipate. "If I can find a place or if he wants me to leave, I'll leave. Until then, I'm stuck here doing job searches."

And so Kiba was shocked for the third time that evening as he managed to hide it behind a calm face, though inside his jaw was on the ground. _This guy… he's actually looking for a job? Is he just really weird or does he have an IQ score way higher than mine? Yeah… it's probably the IQ score. And to think I got bored takin' that thing. No wonder mine was so low. _Pushing such thoughts away, Kiba decided to keep the man talking. "Really? What do you do?"

Sasuke just shrugged, turning away to turn the stove on as he set one of the pots on a burner. "This and that. Just about anything really."

"That doesn't tell me a whole lot." Kiba deadpanned for the second time.

The raven didn't miss a beat. "Wasn't meant to."

Knowing he wasn't going to get much else out of the guy, Kiba turned away and headed for where he knew Naruto's bedroom was, picking out what looked like clean clothes for the blonde to wear before heading into work the next morning. Besides, Sasuke was really starting to freak him out. Saying his farewells, Kiba left the apartment and the ghostly raven behind in the hopes of going home to get some shuteye. Tossing the clothes in the backseat and getting behind the wheel, the dog faced man didn't even notice the figure standing across the street, standing encased in shadows but a not too close to the light to be seen clearly.

Looking up, the figure stared at the windows almost curiously before turning away and vanishing into the night. No one saw the triumphant smirk on their lips as they made their way through the rarely empty streets, heading towards the rundown parts of the city. They only had one thought going through their minds almost like a mantra designed for the very occasion. Whatever that was. _I found him, I finally found him. I'll be rewarded greatly for this. I know it._

--_**With Neji**_—

It really wasn't like him to work so late. But Kakashi had ordered that he find more files on Naruto's mysterious roommate to look over. Personally, he'd been a bit surprised at how the older man had reacted to seeing the contents of the first file he'd picked out. Now he was beginning to wonder if it had been the right thing to research the guy in the first place. _I mean... I don't even know him. I haven't even met him yet but I'm already suspicious that he'll just make Naruto's life turn for the worst. Do I even have the right to butt in on Naruto's business like this?_

He was distracted from his thoughts when his pale fingers nearly passed over a red flag. A folder specifically colored red to quickly catch the attention of any looking through all the many other tan folders that filled the drawers. Instantly interested, the Hyuga found its tab, which was oddly blank, hearing the expected sliding noise the special paper made as it exited its well filed prison. Pale purple eyes staring at its blank sides for any description explaining what it was, he was surprised to find none to be found anywhere on the folder at all. _Strange… this has to be a pretty top priority file to not have been labeled. But why in red and without a label like all the others in here? Who put it here? And when?_

A little confused at this, Neji shut the drawer and slipped into his office where he clicked his desk light on, vaguely watching the dust particles in the air swirl and dance in the light almost as if they were microscopic moths. Making sure no one would burst in on him, Neji finally gave in to his curiosity. It felt like he was opening a book he wasn't supposed to be reading, the kind of nasty, adult rated book parents hid from their kids when they came home from school. As soon as it flipped open to reveal the contents within, he instantly regretted finding it in the first place.

_Oh… oh god. Oh my god. This is… this is beyond anything I know about crime! I'm betting movie writers can't come up with something like this!_ Quickly slapping the folder closed, Neji fought off a wave of nausea. He had to cover his own mouth with a hand to keep himself from throwing up all over his own office room. Never had he seen such that was within the folder sitting almost innocently on his desktop. Almost innocently. As the nausea died down, Neji was surprised to find his hands shaking like leafs in the wind. Finding his resolve once more, he slapped on a serious face as he got up from his chair to leave. _I have to get this to Kakashi._

Only then did he remember that the silver haired man in question had gone home a little over an hour before, leaving him and a few other officers in charge of the night shift. The graveyard shift. A time of the work day where you'd have to have absolutely no life beyond the office to be brave enough to volunteer for. Something told him that he'd have to wait at least until morning to show the folder to the man before being able to do much else. That and a slightly vague memory of Naruto scolding him for not getting out more faded in from the deep recesses of his mind, making him scowl at the farthest wall in slight annoyance. As he slipped the red folder into one of his desk drawers, Neji could only wonder why he hadn't taken the blonde's advice to begin with.

Damn that took a while! But yeah, I finished a little short this time. I'll probably make the next one a little longer just for the hell of it. Meanwhile, you guys can take a look at next time's teaser while I revel in the fact that there're no notes that I've to bother dealing with. Lucky me. Probably jinxed myself but hey! I'm still lucky. Anyway, on with life and all things involved:

Next chapter:

Chapter 5: Day Of Change: Peace Begets Chaos

What exactly did Neji find that made Kakashi so upset? And will Naruto be informed in the near future? Better yet, who was it that lurked outside our favorite blonde's apartment building before vanishing towards anywhere? Is Sasuke's past finally coming back to haunt him? can he protect Naruto from whatever inner demons may exist with unnamed faces roaming NYC? Find out in the next chapter of '_Drifting No More_':

_**Chapter 5: Day Of Change: Peace Begets Chaos!!**_


	5. Chapter 5: Day Of Change

I begin another chapter for all to see with the intent of entertaining all who're willing to sit their lazy asses down and read it at their discretion. One can only hope that I'm not writing all of this just to be left unseen. Hell no! Though reviews are a little slow lately, I can only think that's because those who read this are in awe of whatever untapped talent one like myself could be unleashed upon the web. But… I digress. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto in any shape or form. This fic has been rated T for teen to be safe… and for Kiba's unusually dirty mouth…. Enjoy!

"Iii" speech

_Iii_ thought

"_Iii_" telephone speech

Chapter 5: Day Of Change: Peace Begets Chaos

Getting up that morning had been pretty hard. Even though the location was really unfitting to how he felt, Naruto didn't want to leave that bed even if he did feel perfectly fine. Despite the fact that Kiba had driven him in the day before to nurse bruises and cuts after nearly being tossed his own height of 6"2' (" is feet right? If I'm wrong just tell me) into the air and back towards the ground again in less than .25 seconds. Of all the things that'd happened to him in his line of work, this had been a first for him despite being shot, shot _at_, cut, slashed, bruised, punched and nearly beaten to a bloody pulp by a rather pissed off rioter before several officers tackled the man and saved Naruto's skin.

Before going to sleep, Naruto had tried not to laugh at how his life long guardian, Iruka, had come in close to hysterics and ready to strangle anyone who dared tell him to leave before he felt like it. Naruto knew the brunette to be a gentle and kind soul, and had the few rare chances of seeing the man truly enraged. Definitely not something he ever wanted to see ever again. But despite his guardian's amusing display of concern for him was before he left for the night, Naruto could only wonder how Sasuke would react to hearing about him being in the hospital. _I wonder how Kiba'll break it to him? Wait… why am I thinking of Sasuke? Should I be thinking of him right now? Do I have the right to think about him? Even if I barely know him at all?_

He'd let such thoughts fade as he fell into a deep sleep, barely noticing the nurse that came in to check on him before shutting the light off. Sky blue eyes registered a beautiful moon shining brightly from behind almost invisible clouds before his mind finally registered the darkness of sleep. Now that morning, he felt stiff and achy all over to where some of the most basic movements were a bit painful to perform. Thankfully after a while, the painful ache vanished as soon as he began to move more, allowing blood to flow and for muscles to warm up. All that had to happen now was for Kiba to show up with some fresh clothes before he could head to work.

_Now where is that lazy bastard? If he went ahead without me I'm gonna skin him alive!_ He thought as he tried not to pace the room but instead got back into his bed as instructed by the nurse working her rounds. She left with a smile, leaving him to what dark thoughts that roamed his mind as he impatiently waited for his partner in justice to arrive as promised. Just when he thought he'd lose his mind, said brunette came walking into the room with something folded under his arm.

Naruto instantly scowled from where he sat on the bed, making the brunette look sheepish from where he stood at the door as his voice cut through the air practically like a knife with a raw edge, fresh from the sharpening stone. "Those had better be my clothes or your neck's gonna be in a noose made of bed sheets or wire."

Kiba could only hold his hands up in the air defensively as he shut the door behind him, making sure it was locked so no female would accidentally barge in. "Chill man! I knew you'd slaughter me if I forgot so I got what looked the most clean." He said, a scowl of disgust on his face as he tossed the blonde his clothes. "You need to clean up in there man! It's a danger zone!"

Naruto just rolled his eyes and grumbled aloud to himself as he caught the clothes in midair and made moves to change out. "The one part of the house I forgot to clean this week, it just had to be my own room didn't it?"

"Tell me about it." The look Naruto gave him instantly silenced him.

Suddenly calm, the blonde spoke again. "So you met Sasuke again I take it?"

Kiba merely scoffed, shaking his head as he watched the blonde pull his pants on from across the room. "That I did. That guy's a fuckin' ghost! A ghost that's not dead yet! I'm tellin' ya Naruto, there's somethin' really off about that guy!"

Naruto just rolled his eyes again, almost smirking in amusement. "You'll live. Why? Did he scare you?"

The brunette just gave him the good ol' 'are you fuckin' kiddin' me?' kind of looks which made Naruto pause in putting is shirt over his head a second. "More like nearly killed me! Comin' outta nowhere like he does! He's either a ghost in human flesh or a fuckin' ninja! And I don't care which one it is, that guy gives me the creeps!"

_That's a first… is he really that unusual? I'll have to ask him when I come home later tonight._ Naruto thought as he rolled his eyes at the brunette's words before pulling the garment over his head and down over his well built chest. "Oh grow up Kiba! He's just as old as you are! There's no way he could be a ghost unless he died in the last 24 hours. And I really doubt the ninja part."

"I'm tellin' ya--!" Kiba began to say only to get cut off by Naruto's serious expression and stern voice.

"Well I'm tellin' you to let it go! He's been under my roof for practically half a month and he hasn't done _anything_, and I do mean anything, that's considered harmful much less intended to cause pain or injury! So will you chill?" the blonde inquired, hoping the man would just say yes and that'd be then end of it.

No luck as Kiba just scowled at him, scoffing again. "No!"

Naruto came close to pulling his own hair out in frustration. "Ugh! You're gonna have to get over it okay? So unless something happens that proves you right, which I _highly doubt_, there's no way I'll agree with you on this. Capice?"

Kiba had no choice but to give in. "Fine. Now get your shoes on. I don't want to be late for work."

"Yes mother dear." Naruto said, mimicking a child's voice horribly.

He only snickered when Kiba bristled. "Shut up."

"You started it!" the blonde said, trying not to laugh too hard. His ribs still ached from when he'd hit the ground the day before.

"Not this again. Not this _again_!" Kiba protested, covering his ears with his hands, hoping to drown the other man out.

The blonde just stuck out his tongue as he worked on his shoes. "Well if you stop acting that way then, yeah, it might happen less often don't you think so?"

"Just finish up and let's go dammit! Fuck!" Kiba growled as he opened the door before stepping out into the hallway, thankful there weren't any nurses around to hear him and his exclamations.

But Naruto was quickly on his case as he followed the man into the hall. "Don't cuss here! This is a hospital! Not a sports bar!"

"So you're my mother now? C'mon so I can sign you out already." The brunette said as he headed for the elevator with Naruto hot on his heels.

"I can sign myself out! You just need to drive me to work so I can go home in my own car tonight!" Naruto snapped, though he smirked at Kiba's words.

Kiba just shook his head, trying to keep himself from smiling. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Quit your whinin'. Let's go already."

The two enjoyed a quiet ride to the ground floor, and a rather peaceful drive to the station where they immediately changed out. Within an hour of arrival, Naruto and Kiba were out on the streets again, patrolling as usual with the blonde behind the wheel.

--_**With Sasuke**_—

Unlike before, Sasuke's morning was a little lacking in routine. Though he'd gotten up when he always did, he had to remind himself that Naruto was still in the hospital and would be coming home by the time the raven thought of what to have for dinner that night. So, he got dressed for the day, got something to eat and decided to do some chores he knew the blonde had neglected to do.

_And to think I wouldn't have to do stuff like this for another couple of weeks. This is probably what I get for thinking._ He thought to himself as he hauled a hamper full of dirty clothes from both bedrooms since Naruto had insisted that they both have one in each room to avoid taking constant trips but merely deal with it all at once. For a guy who seemed pretty disorganized, Sasuke was surprised to find just how truly systematic the blonde really was. True, the man had proven to be a little to a little dimwitted at times only to turn the tables with something amazingly intelligent.

It was something that had Sasuke absolutely baffled. Was the blonde trying to hide something from him? Or was he just acting like he always did when it came to being around other people simply for the hell of it? But one question overruled them all in his mind. _Why was he acting that way the other day?_

--_**Flashback**_—

_He'd been sifting through search results on his laptop when the blonde had come into the room, paused, and then turned around to walk in the opposite direction. A bit confused at this, Sasuke watched the doorway for a moment before going back to his previous engagement of looking at job offers. But yet, he felt the intensity of the blonde's sky blue eyes on his back, and it was making him irritated. Finally, he spoke up, taking the other man completely by surprise._

"_Do you need something?" Sasuke could only lift an eyebrow when the blonde promptly jumped a few inches into the air, his face turning a bright red. An emotion flashed in his eyes that he couldn't identify in time._

"_Uh… I uh… um well I…." Naruto stammered, obviously nervous as he tried to find the right words to say._

_This only made Sasuke even more irritated, as his normally smooth features were marred with a scowl that should've told the blonde everything. "Because if you need something, you need to say it or go away."_

"_Well… I was kinda wondering… what exactly is it that you're doing?" the blonde's face turned another shade of red as he tried not to look sheepish._

_Much to the man's obvious relief, Sasuke appeared surprised by the sudden inquiry to his current activity. Since the blonde was curious, Sasuke saw no point in lying to him. "Looking for a job. Why?"_

"_Oh. Just… just wondering." Naruto said as he began to back out of the living room and back down the hall, only for Sasuke's voice to stop him in his tracks._

"_Are you okay? You look a little flushed." The raven asked, nearly getting of the couch to see if the man had a fever of some kind. _

"_I-it's nothing! It's nothing! Don't worry about it okay?" even though Sasuke noticed something flash in the blonde's blue eyes, he couldn't help but feel that he was being left in the dark about something._

_Still concerned nonetheless, Sasuke decided to let is slide as he sat back down, giving the blonde man a wary expression. "If you say so."_

_He couldn't help but notice how quickly the blonde vanished until dinner later that night._

--_**End Flashback**_—

Biting his lip as he stared at the wall, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder why the other man had been so nervous at that particular moment. Shaking his head, he decided to push the subject out of his mind until later. _Maybe when I'm done with all these damn clothes or somethin'._

Sorting lights from darks, Sasuke ignored the slight pain in his leg as he started the chore he always did at a laundromat, only now, the load was twice as big.

--_**With Neji**_—

Cursing was never something he really ever did. But he was definitely cursing now as he stomped into his office, clearly angry at himself or someone or something that hadn't done what was normally done. Such anger and obvious rage was rarely displayed on the Hyuga's part unless it was something truly personal and pertaining to something extremely sensitive. With Neji Hyuga, it could be anything. Problem was, none of his coworkers knew what to do to ease the man's apparent fury before he blew a vessel or lashed out at someone.

So, as fate would have it, Neji sat in his office all the while grumbling and was apparently crabby about something. But only Kakashi had some idea what it could be that was causing the man such intense irritation. The only way to confirm this was to enter said Hyuga's office.

"Something the matter Neji-kun?" he said innocently as he claimed one of the guest chairs, watching the younger man calmly from across the desk.

Neji instantly glared, balling his fists in compressed rage. "Yes! I didn't get the chance to see Naruto this morning about his roommate and now I probably have to wait until a couple hours from now before I can confront him! Do you know what I mean?"

Feigning confusion, Kakashi just shook his head. "Not really but… it was you who said that we should wait to see if Naruto wants to know more about this guy before we start shoving folders of ancient history into his face. Of all the things you said the other day, that's one of the clearest things I remember about that conversation."

"I guess I'm just worried." The Hyuga said with a sigh as he let his forehead come to rest on his desktop.

Kakashi could only look truly surprised. "You guess? I think you know, not guess. You should know better than anyone that he's ignored your advances."

Quickly bringing his head up, Neji stared at his boss with wide, pale purple eye filled with shock. "W-what?"

The silver haired man stared at him innocently, his inner self happily celebrating from deep within his mind. "I may have just one eye but I can tell that you're just itching to have him. Aren't you?"

Blushing a little, Neji tried to come up with a counter. "I… I don't…."

"Go ahead. Admit it. There's no one but me in here. No one'll hear you." The older man said as calmly as ever, not even blinking at how flustered the Hyuga had become.

Neji could only sigh in defeat, using both hands to rub his face in a slow, fatigued manner. "Okay, okay it's true."

Kakashi's single eye narrowed suspiciously, and rightfully so. "I'm sensing there's a 'but' in this."

The Hyuga nodded, his hands now close to being flat on his desk. "There is. That's because I'm not really sure if I'm actually in love or just lusting over him."

"Hmm. I'm thinkin' lust." Kakashi said casually not even blinking while the other man blinked instead.

"What?" he managed to say, obviously confused.

Kakashi shrugged, leaning back in his chair a little. "Think about it: have you ever had a wet dream about him?"

Neji thought this over. "Uh… no."

This made the other man sit up, apparently surprised at Neji's response. "Really? Honestly?"

A little uncertain, Neji just nodded. "Honestly."

Kakashi's eye had narrowed in suspicion again, making the Hyuga feel he'd been put under a microscope that only Kakashi could use. "No urges to drag his ass into a closet and bone 'im for all he's worth?"

Face burning, Neji didn't know if he should be shocked or embarrassed at the man's bold words. He barely managed to keep himself from falling out of his chair. "That was more descriptive than I cared for but no... None of that at all."

At first, Kakashi just stared. "Wow." He leaned back, looking purely confident as he spoke again. "That proves it's just lust. Not love."

"Then why do I still feel angry?" the Hyuga grumbled, his annoyed stare boring into Kakashi like a laser light.

The silver haired man just shrugged again, nonchalant and composed. "Because you're worried about him. Not as a would-be lover, but as a friend. I can tell ya I'm worried to but, as you said, we have to give them time. This guy could be either waiting for the right moment to tell him the truth, or just make a run for it."

"And you know this how?" Neji growled, vaguely wondering why he'd let the older man come in to begin with.

Kakashi shook his head, not even affected by Neji's growing anger. "I don't. Just a hunch is all."

"Very reassuring." Neji deadpanned.

The police chief just looked pleased with himself. "Yup! It's what I do!"

"No it's not." The Hyuga said calmly as he started sifting through the assorted piles of paperwork on his desk.

This took Kakashi off guard as he sat up, instantly intrigued. "Huh?"

Neji almost ignored the man's question. Almost. That would've been too cruel even for him to do. "It's not what you do."

"Okay. What do I do then?" Kakashi inquired, suspicious of what the Hyuga had to say on the matter.

Without looking up from his task, Neji spoke again. "You sleep at odd hours, never do your own work and you date Iruka-san behind everybody's backs."

"I-I thought only Naruto knew about that!!" Kakashi barely stammered, his single eye widening to almost impossible proportions.

"Goes to show what you know." The Hyuga said calmly, not even missing a beat.

"Who else?" he growled, making Neji look up curiously to look Kakashi right in the eye, not blinking as the older man glared viciously at him.

"Who else what?"

"Who else knows dammit?!" Kakashi snapped, knowing how strange it would be to arrest himself for strangling a coworker to death.

Neji just shrugged, looking down at the papers as he started to fill them out as he went on. "From what I can tell, only Naruto, Kiba and I know about it. If anyone else knows, they're keeping their mouths shut."

"Keep it to yourselves then." Kakashi growled as he got up, heading right for the door, his angry expression probably enough to make his point.

"Yes sir." The Hyuga managed to say before his boss slammed the door, making him wince at the noise, thankful his pen had been above the paper and not on it.

--_**With Naruto**_—

Even after being released with a clean bill of health, signed and delivered by Hayate himself, the blonde still felt a bit sore all over. Kiba had already asked him nearly six times if he was okay and every time he just said 'I'm fine' or 'leave it be okay?'. But the brunette wouldn't leave it be. Not when he literally said 'you look like shit.'

His only response was 'and I feel like it too'.

But like most days, Naruto chose to ignore his full body ache and continued to drive their car through the busy streets of New York. A light rain was still falling, but it kept coming and going, the light grey clouds giving way to patches of blue. Peaceful weather that should be blessed with an uneventful day for two tired police officers who've had enough for one week. Or that's what Naruto silently prayed for as he waited for a streetlight to turn green, vaguely aware of the small crowd using the crosswalk to get to their destinations a little faster. He never noticed the one figure out of them all that eyed him like a hawk would its prey before vanishing into the mob of people again. The blonde didn't even notice the other one standing on the other side of the intersection, stealthily taking pictures.

The light changed and Naruto took the turn onto the next street, only just registering the man with the camera. Watching him in the rearview mirror, the blonde gave him a wary look, wondering why a man would be taking pictures when there was no one there to pose for him.

"Hey." He said suddenly, nearly making Kiba jump out of his skin.

"Yeah?"

"Who do you think that was?" the blonde inquired, eyeing the rearview mirror with an oddly serious expression. That alone told Kiba that something was up.

Looking back through the side mirror, the brunette searched the crowd intensely, hoping to find whoever it was Naruto was talking about. "Who was who?"

Naruto nodded, hoping the other man would see the stranger too. "That guy, on the corner with the camera. Who do you think he is?"

It didn't take long for Kiba to see said stranger, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the man via his own mirror, shaking his head. "No idea. Probably some reporter tryin' to get some last minute pictures for his column and he's just improvising. Maybe he works for a magazine or somethin'."

Naruto shook his head in turn, still giving the man a suspicious glare. "If that was true, he's have a crew with him. Something's up."

"What should we do?"

The blonde turned his sky blue eyes back towards the road, making sure the car was still straight as they stopped at another light. "You keep an eye on him, I'll see if I can't get him to try and track us."

"Alrighty." Kiba said, turning his eyes back to the mirrors as the car moved forward again when the light changed back to green. As traffic moved on, the man seemed to vanish behind them. Just when Kiba thought for sure he was gone for good, he spotted him walking a little too quickly after them, the camera hastily stuffed into his jacket against the rain. Almost as if he didn't want anyone to know he had it. "Yup. He took the bait. What now man?"

Naruto didn't even verify Kiba's words as he kept his eyes focused on the road, looking purely annoyed as he scowled at the car in front of theirs. "We corner him and have a little chat."

Kiba nodded, knowing better than to talk the blonde out of it. "I'm down with that. There's a good spot over there."

"Yeah I see it." The blonde said calmly as he turned the wheel, making sure the blinker was on to avoid collisions with other cars. "Let's do this nice and cool. Like we're goin' for a piss."

"Roger that." Without another word, the two men calmly got out of the car, Naruto casually pocketing the keys as they both locked their doors and headed in almost opposite directions. As soon as they were out of eyesight of anyone on the sidewalk, the two swiftly took shelter behind anything within reach. Kiba ended up behind a dumpster while Naruto flattened himself against a wall inside an arched doorway. He knew now wasn't the time to snicker at Kiba silently cursing for stepping in week old lasagna. This definitely wasn't the time for either of them to be distracted.

As if on cue, the strange man with the poorly hidden camera casually strolled out from the normal hustle and bustle of early morning sidewalk traffic. Upon seeing the car and its lacking contents, the man ceased to be casual about anything as he let out a burst of speed to reach the 'abandoned' police car. Dressed in neutral colors with a hood over his head, sunglasses hiding his eyes even though it was extremely cloudy out and gloves that were thin enough to work the camera with. The rest of his face was well hidden by either shadows or the hood he wore. By the way he walked up to the car, they both knew this guy wasn't very experienced when it came to stalking. As if the way he 'hid' his Canon camera wasn't big enough of a clue.

The man cautiously circled around the back of the car, almost standing on his toes to see if the two were hiding inside the car. Only teens did that when they were trying to get into each other's pants. Everybody knew that. But obviously this guy didn't, especially when he kept looking around before leaning to almost press his nose against the window to get a better look inside. Still no cops lying in wait or taking a coffee break to enjoy freshly baked glazed donuts for a good ten minutes. Or so he thought until he turned to find himself face to face with a rather miffed looking blonde nearly two inches from his nose, the man's expression enough to tell him how much trouble he was in.

Only one thing left to do. Run for it as if his ass were on fire. That would've been easy if not for the blonde's partner coming from behind to grab the camera and push him against the car as if to punch his lights out. The brunette didn't hesitate to say what was on both their minds.

"Who the fuck do you think you are following us like that? And what the fuck's up with you takin' pictures of us?" Kiba snarled, making the man begin to sweat as he tried to wriggle out of the man's grasp.

"W-wait! I can explain--!" he gasped, hoping to whatever god he worshiped that the cop in front of him would listen.

He only paled at Kiba's next words. "You better or you ass's gonna be in pieces when I'm through with you!"

Seeing how close the man was to pissing himself in fright, Naruto decided to intervene rather than look on in silence. "Let him talk Kiba."

"But Naruto--!" Kiba began, only for the blonde to cut him off.

"Just let him talk. Maybe he can tell us if he's workin' for someone." Naruto reasoned, eyeing the man in Kiba's grasp suspiciously with curiosity in the mix.

The man instantly relaxed, knowing now that Kiba wasn't going to beat him to a bloody pulp. When he noticed the blonde's stare, he knew that singing like a bird was the best action he could take.

Fighting down nervousness and fear of the brunette still holding him by the front of his jacket, the man finally found his voice. "I-I was just told to just take a few pictures of you guys. That's all."

Kiba looking confused while Naruto merely raised an eyebrow at this new information. "That's it? Why us? And why photos?"

"They didn't tell me to do much else. It's all I know. I swear!" the man said almost desperately as he tried to loosen Kiba's grip on his jacket.

"Who's they?" the brunette snarled, anger making its way through his confusion over what could be going on.

But the man just shook his head, hoping the man holding him in place would listen to his version of things. "I don't know. I tried asking but they wouldn't tell me."

Kiba only pressed on, his expression showing wariness and impatience. "Did they threaten you? Or try to blackmail you or somethin'?"

The man just shook his head again, sweat rolling down his face like tiny waterfalls of salt water. "No actually. They said they'd pay me a lot to get pictures of you guys to give to them whenever I ran out of film."

"Which was when exactly?" Naruto inquired, having to lean a bit to see past Kiba's spiky hair and pissed off face.

The man actually looked sheepish. "Maybe an hour from now."

"An hour?! You've been watchin' us for that long? What the hell?" Kiba snapped, his face turning an amazing shade of red.

"Calm down Kiba." Naruto said calmly, finally pushing the brunette out of the way so as to look right at the man better. "When did they ask you to do this?"

"A couple days ago. They seemed pretty determined." He said, relieved that Kiba was no longer holding him by his jacket's front with the intent of breaking his nose.

Naruto didn't miss a beat. "Can you describe them to us?"

The man just shrugged. "Maybe. But not right now. They could be watching out for me. Possibly you too."

"Do you know why?" Kiba inquired, his suspicion returning tenfold.

He only shook his head, appearing ashamed of himself. "They only told me to get photos. Nothing more. I'm sorry."

Naruto remained silent for a moment before finally saying. "Alright. Since these guys are so determined to get us on film, we can probably fake a couple shots and send you on your way." The man nodded as Naruto pressed on. "But as soon as you give them the photos, keep the negatives and come straight to us understand?"

The man nodded enthusiastically, his demeanor now truly relaxed. "Definitely. The guys they sent were really creepy."

"Okay then. Kiba, get back in the car. We're goin' back onto our route. You can follow behind and finish your 'work' Mr.…?" Naruto began to say, giving the man a questioning look.

The man only smiled, removing his sunglasses to reveal sharp orbs of amber before pulling the hood back to show light brown hair that was a little longer than both Naruto and Kiba's combined. "Just call me Casey. Everyone does. I don't really like it when people get formal with me. Makes me uncomfortable."

Naruto could only smirk kindly, now holding out a business card. "Well then Mr. Casey, until we meet again on much less unfriendly terms."

Casey managed to chuckle at the blonde's response as he took the card, saying his goodbyes before vanishing into the crowds again. Waiting a moment, Naruto pulled out when he was sure no one would suspect all that much of them, making sure the way was clear before getting back onto the main streets again. Kiba eyed Naruto from the passenger's side, hoping to high heaven that the blonde knew what he was doing. He could only remain silent at they went along the rest of their route with the thought of Casey the photographer somewhere in the crowds.

Finally, he couldn't stay as quiet as he thought he could. "Do you think he'll actually do as you said?"

"Yeah." Naruto said calmly, without taking his eyes off the road ahead of them.

Kiba turning his head to look at the blonde, his expression filled with curiosity on how the other man thought about the new development. "How exactly?"

Naruto just shrugged. "He didn't seem like the most likely person to trail us. They probably have somethin' on him to keep him from refusing. If he can, he'll probably tell us when he's turned in those photos."

"I don't like this." The brunette mumbled, turning his gaze away from the blonde to stare at the unsuspecting people walking along the streets.

The blonde's tone worried him more than anything on the planet. "Neither do I Kiba, neither do I."

--_**With Sasuke**_—

The clothes had been really something. Mainly since his leg was now aching like crazy and more than half of the clothes were finally done. Now all he had to do was fold and sort until the next load's completion announced itself via an annoyingly loud buzzing sound that echoed throughout the place almost like a siren. The first time he'd heard it do this was while he was sitting in the living room, reading a newspaper article when the noise came down on his ears like bees made of sound. Lucky for him, no one had been around to hear him yelp in surprise. Much less see him nearly fall out of his chair and onto the floor in fright. It definitely wasn't an everyday thing for him to be even imagining such a powerful noise.

He knew some machines were old and decrepit but yet still in good enough condition to be serviceable to the average human consumer. Said machines had such annoyingly loud buzzers, like the ones in ancient laundromats which were so damn loud, Sasuke could feel his head ringing just by thinking about it and how he'd nearly embarrassed himself in front of a few suburban women. Luckily he'd gotten off smoothly by fighting back the blush on his face and pretending to look bored as he retrieved his dry clothes from the machine. Now, he didn't have to hide his reaction from others as he half walked, half limped towards the laundry room in order to switch out the loads.

With that out of the way, Sasuke flopped onto the couch again to stare aimlessly at the ceiling high above him. His leg was pulsing with a pain that inched its way up his leg and towards his head, making him feel as if he were getting a monster of a migraine until the sound of someone knocking at the door distracted him from his pain. _Who the--? Who could that be?_ He thought as he sat up, hoping his leg was willing to let him walk a bit more.

Managing to get onto his feet again, Sasuke shuffled towards the front door to look through the eyehole provided. The hallway beyond was pretty well lit, making it easier for him to see what was on the other side as his black eye registered a rather strange looking one eyed man with silver hair standing almost patiently for the door to open. Curious, but naturally suspicious, Sasuke made sure the chain lock was in place before he even reached for the knob.

The strange man, hair gravity defying as it covered his left eye from view like the scarf over his nose, mouth and chin did, stared with an odd kindness that Sasuke was instantly wary of. Never had he seen such an unusual demeanor like this. Not in at least twelve years or so anyway. Fighting back bad memories, Sasuke found his voice as he gave the man a blank expression. "Hai?"

All smiles in the hopes of making a good impression, the strange man smiled from under his scarf at the younger man, keeping his tone friendly and warm. "Hello there. You're Naruto's new roommate I presume?"

Feeling one of his eyebrows lifting, Sasuke kept himself from giving the man a suspicious glare. "And if I am?"

Instantly uncomfortable under the raven's stare, the silver haired man seemed to be fighting to keep his cool. "Then I'd like a word or two with you."

"Why? Who are you?" Sasuke said, unwilling to back down, much less open the door to a person he knew nothing about.

Determined for once, the silver haired man stood his own ground. "I'm Naruto's boss, Kakashi Hatake. Quite literally Chief of Police."

Sasuke managed to keep his face neutral. "Hn. And you want to talk to me because… why?"

"Continuing this inside rather than in the hallway is a bit more appropriate don't you think?" Kakashi inquired, hoping his suggestion would be enough to convince the raven to trust him. He didn't want to be standing out in the hall all day.

Rather than saying anything, Sasuke seemed to think the same way. The man did seem pretty harmless, despite him being the most powerful cop in the small section of the Big Apple he happened to govern. A little reluctant but knowing better than to piss off a police officer, Sasuke swung the door closed enough to undo the chain lock.

As the raven limped back towards the couch, Kakashi shut the door behind him as his single eye noticed the other man's impaired walk. "That leg bothering you?"

Without turning around, Sasuke calmly seated himself, his tone probably showing his fatigue. "With all the walking I've been doing the past hour yeah, it's really starting to bother me now." Midnight black eyes gazed at Kakashi with power enough to wither plants if possible. "What do you care?"

Kakashi merely shrugged as he too claimed a seat, taking one of the chairs across from the raven-haired man. "Just a question. That's all."

"Hn." Sasuke's gaze didn't waver as he spoke. "Did you actually come to talk to me or interrogate me?"

_Kinda sensitive is he? Okay, direct approach is bad._ Holding his kind smile in place, Kakashi put on a sheepish expression. "Sorry if I've offended you but... you seem to be in pain. Aren't there any pills for you to take?"

Sasuke shook his head, his own expression blank again. "Not prescribed ones and I don't feel like digging for more aspirins. Those things take forever to work."

"Have you seen a doctor about it?" Kakashi inquired, feeling that such a question was valid to the conversation.

This time, Sasuke just shrugged, looking bored. "I would've had Naruto take me to the hospital sometime this morning but Kiba came and told me he was in the hospital."

"Ah. I see." His kind expression faded a little, giving way to the seriousness he'd kept hidden the whole time. "How long do you plan on staying exactly?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Kakashi's change of character, stoning his own face and tone against whatever the other man had in store. "What's it to you?"

"Let's just say, Mr. _Uchiha_," this made Sasuke freeze but say nothing as Kakashi went on, "that it's just about everything to me. Naruto's safety is my concern and after seeing your files, I've every reason to be concerned right now."

The raven-haired man sat on the couch, letting the silence stretch as he stared at the older man across from him. "So you don't trust me?"

"Not unless I know that you're not intending to do him harm." Kakashi said a bit too calmly, his tone on edge of sounding dangerously threatening. Sasuke didn't even flinch as he stood his ground.

"I wouldn't do that." He growled defensively, fuming inside that this man would insult him in such a way.

Kakashi looked mildly surprised though his tone didn't change. "Oh really? And why should I believe that?"

"Because I changed. Things have changed. I'm not going to let that get messed up over stupid decisions." Sasuke went on, his midnight black eyes holding the older man in place before falling silent.

_Stupid decisions? Seems there's more to this guy than meets the eye._ Hiding his confusion fairly well, Kakashi decided to test the subject. "What kind of decisions are we talking about here?"

The raven just gave him the 'are you really that stupid?' look. "You saw my file didn't you? Even you should know."

Completely lost now, the silver haired man couldn't hide the mystification that filled his expression and tone as he pressed on. "Know? Know what? What're you--?"

"You haven't read it all have you?" Sasuke deadpanned, everything about him practically composed of the strongest stone.

"Well, I … um…I--." Kakashi stammered, truly amazed at how well the younger man could keep his cool in the presence of the chief of police.

Without missing a beat, Sasuke leaned back on the couch, pulling his aching leg up to lie horizontally on the piece of furniture. "I thought so. Now, unless you have much else to say to me on the subject, you know the way out."

"We're not done here." Kakashi growled defensively as Sasuke continued to position himself before rolling over to have his back face the older man, his face completely hidden from view as he faced the couch's back.

"I understand that. But for now, we are. Until we meet again Hatake-san." He said calmly before falling silent again, not moving as the older man silently fumed.

Seeing that the raven-haired man wasn't going to say much more, Kakashi saw no other option than to quietly head for the door. Once out into the hall, and the door shut securely behind him, Kakashi instantly felt something in the air. Something that made it feel… _wrong_.

Looking around, he saw no one anywhere, not even a small child coming home from school with the hopes of showing its parents its latest art creation. _That's odd._ He thought as he slowly headed for the elevator. _I could've sworn there was someone else here. Hm. Must be my age catching up with me._

As he pressed the down arrow, Kakashi Hatake, chief of New York police, didn't notice that the door across from Naruto's apartment was opening up little by little. Just when the elevator door's opened up to reveal the empty box beyond to let Kakashi inside, only then did the silver haired man felt a shiver go up and down his spine. Within a matter of seconds, Kakashi had turned around and headed back down the hall at the speed of a high school track team member. Closing in on the door, only to find it slightly afar, the police chief had reason to fear the worst.

Pulling his sidearm from its holster at his side, well hidden within his jacket, Kakashi kicked the door open and lifted his gun up to eye level as he burst back into the living room. Apparently, the raven-haired man wasn't as incapacitated as he thought since said man was back on his feet and trying to fend off a rather determined man who happened to be trying to stick him with a needle. By the looks of things, Kakashi doubted Sasuke could hold his own much longer, mainly by how pained his face looked whenever he moved his injured leg too much.

"FREEZE!" Kakashi thundered, pointing his gun right at the newcomer, whose white hair and round glasses his a good portion of the man's face. Said man froze to turn and see just who it was that was yelling at him. Instantly spotting the gun being aimed directly at him, the man quickly moved to the side, somehow getting Sasuke into a headlock with the needle's pointed end not far from the raven's pale neck.

"Shoot me and I get him with this." The stranger warned, edging the metal and plastic thing ever so closely to Sasuke's skin. Kakashi could see how hard the raven was fighting to keep from panicking.

Kakashi just stepped closer, hoping his loud and powerful voice would be enough to discourage the man. "Drop the syringe and get on your knees."

No luck as the man just scowled, his fingerless gloves allowing him to see him flex his grip on the needle. "I can't do that. You've no idea how hard I've had to work to find this guy. If I lose him now, I'm due to be at the bottom of the river." "I say again, you shoot me, I'll stab him."

"Put. The. Syringe. Down. Now." Kakashi growled, daring to step a little closer as he clicked the safety off with one of his free fingers.

The man's scowl darkened, the sneer on his face looking a bit too ominous to be considered normal. "Maybe you're not hearing me. This needle could contain something very toxic to Sasuke-kun here and if I'm dead, you'll have no one to help you keep him from having any kind of negative reaction."

Fighting away the man's words and sticking to protocol, Kakashi barely managed to keep everything about himself perfectly solid as he spoke in a purely annoyed tone of voice. "I'll say this one last time. Put the syringe down and get on your knees with your hands over your head."

"Oh dear, you really are nonnegotiable. Well, in it goes!" the man said with an almost impish smile. Just in time for Sasuke to elbow him in the gut, making him gasp and cough in surprise, sending the needle flying. Spinning around on his good foot, the raven swung his leg around to get the stranger in the ribs, making him fall onto the floor some distance away. Managing to keep his balance, Sasuke quickly moved out of Kakashi's way as the man ran forward with his gun still in hand.

But the stranger was already rolling out of the way, heading right for the raven-haired man with a look of almost insane rage on his face. It wasn't until the last second that the two other men noticed that the stranger had managed to procure another syringe and was bringing it up almost like a dagger. As Sasuke tried to back away even further, Kakashi fired.

--_**Meanwhile, At The Precinct**_—

Sipping a fresh cup of coffee while calmly scanning a new sheet of red tape that looked just as boring as the last one, Naruto tried to keep his brain awake where the dark brew in his hand failed to accomplish. This wasn't the first time he'd been bored near to death as Kiba sat across from him, at his own desk and dealing with his own personal hell that was systematic formalities. Just before he could even set his pen's tip down on the piece of paper, Naruto's phone rang loud enough to snap him back to reality. Picking up the receiver with his free hand as he started to write with the other, the blonde spoke in a tone that he hoped didn't make him sound bored out of his skull.

"Hello, this is lieutenant Naruto Uzumaki speaking. How can I assist you?" he said before the voice on the other end nearly blew his ear out, forcing him to bring the receiver some distance from his face.

"_Naruto! Come to the hospital right now!_" said voice exclaimed, sounding almost panicked despite normally sounding lazy and seemingly uncaring. Naruto knew that voice anywhere, no matter what tone was being used.

Bringing the receiver back to his ear and staring at his desktop in confusion, Naruto tried to keep himself from standing up for no apparent reason. "Kakashi? What's the matter?"

A little reluctant but hoping what he said would click the right things into gear as he spoke up again. "_It's your roommate! He's been attacked!_"

This time, Naruto nearly _fell_ out of his chair, his expression like he'd seen something otherworldly slip out from under all the papers in front of him. "W-what? Impossible! When did he-?"

What the older man said next told him all he needed to hear, sounding perfectly sheepish over the phone line. "_I… I kinda came over to pay him a visit but before I left the floor, some guy broke in and attacked him! You gotta come to the hospital right now!_"

"You're in deep shit Kakashi, you're in some real deep shit." Naruto said, his voice having become a nasty growl expressing hidden rage that promised death to any unfortunate enough to be in range of it.

Somehow keeping his cool, Kakashi tried to keep his voice from cracking while sounding nonchalant. "_Figured as much. You comin' or not?_"

"Stay put." Without another word, Naruto hung up and rose from his chair to grab his coat and hat, turning to his perplexed partner in justice. "Kiba! We're going."

"Huh? Going where?" the brunette managed to say as he moved to do the same, but at a much slower and confused pace.

But Naruto was already heading down the hall, turning around a bit to call out as he swiftly walked down the hall. "You comin' or not?"

"Hold up man! Fuck!" Kiba yelled in turn, cursing under his breath as he zig zagged through the hall and past people and carts to follow the blonde out the front doors.

Whoa. Naruto's pretty scary when he's pissed. Too bad Kiba's too out of the loop right now to know that the hell's goin' on right now. Don't worry, he'll catch up to everyone else. Sooner or later…but that's for later. Right? Right. On with things! No notes again! Less for me to worry about right now while everyone reviews what's already here. Sadly it's come to where I must accept flames and anonymous one in order to get the numbers I'm hoping for. So if you guys out there don't feel like logging in or just want to berate me to death, go ahead. Take your best shot. I've probably been told worse. In the meantime, let's see what's to come:

Next chapter:

Chapter 6: Turning of The Tables: Past Revealed?!

Kakashi's bound to get the scolding of the lifetime from Naruto. Let's just hope that our favorite blonde gets to him first. If Iruka finds out… there'll be hell to pay! And just who was Sasuke's attacker? Could just Sasuke's presence be enough to stir whatever monsters that could be lurking in the darkness that's his past? Or can everything be sorted out in time to save innocent lives from being shattered into countless pieces? Find out in another shocking installment to '_Drifting No More_':

_**Chapter 6: Turning of The Tables: Past Revealed?!!!**_


	6. Chapter 6: Turning Of The Tables

The cycle begins again my friends! Which means that I've yet to stop writing for the entertainment of all who bother! As well as myself if I'm bored enough. '_Drifting No More_' comes back in another thrilling chapter sure to please the masses to those who enjoy seeing some major action. Let's just hope Kakashi gets off with just a warning from our very aggravated blonde aka Naruto. Pray if you like but I kinda doubt he'll live long to see tomorrow. Or tonight for that matter. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto in any shape or form, while this fic has been rated T for teen due to possible inappropriate content and Kiba's dirty mouth.

"Iii" speech

_Iii_ thought

Chapter 6: Turning of The Tables: Past Revealed?!

Waking up could be considered a pretty normal thing. But waking up with a major headache and just and only just barely able to wonder what'd happened to cause such pain was something completely different. For Sasuke Uchiha, his situation was the latter. And it was getting steadily worse as he heard a familiar but muffled voice yelling from somewhere as yet two other vaguely familiar voices tried to hush the first before something probably bad happened. From what he could tell, the first voice wasn't big on listening right then.

"I don't know what the hell you were thinking Kakashi but you'd better have a damned good reason!!" even if it was muffled through unseen walls or doors, Sasuke knew right off who was coming close to yelling his lungs out.

He could only smirk as he heard Kakashi try to speak in his personal defense against the blonde's verbal bombardment. "I-I do! Trust me! But if you'll just--!"

"No way. Uh huh. First you call me on the phone to get my ass over here and now you tell that bullshit? I'm not gonna stand here and listen to this! You're gonna tell me what the fuck you were doin' over at my place to begin with!" Naruto's words confused him, but he had no choice but to listen as he stared at the back of his eyelids that, for some strange reason, felt like they were made of lead.

"Naruto please! Just let me explain--!" Kakashi stammered, his voice giving away just how truly scared he was of the blonde's wrath.

But obviously Naruto wasn't in the mood for excuses. "You've explained enough as it is! The only thing you gotta tell me now is what makes you think you can control who and who doesn't live with me!"

"Naruto--!" he heard Kiba say, before being cut off.

A sign that his roommate was really, really pissed as his voice came in a sinister growl that would make anyone shiver at its coldness. "Just stay outta this Kiba! Unless you got somethin' to add, just stay outta this!"

"Dammit Naruto! Will you just listen to me?" Kakashi demanded, having somehow found his voice again only to be cut down before his confidence had a chance to grow much more.

"Not if you want to spew some more of that bullshit nonsense at me." The blonde warned from beyond whatever barrier there was, sounding truly menacing even if his voice was muffled. "Other than that, we're done here."

The last word of his sentence came loud and clear as the sound of a door opening met Sasuke's ears, confirming his suspicions that the blonde had been in the hallway and from his labored breathe, he was trying to calm his nerves. From all the time he'd known the blonde, he'd never actually seen him angry before and just by what he'd managed to hear, he knew he never wanted to. Just from his tone, Sasuke knew that making Naruto angry was a pretty bad idea regardless of the intention. Feeling a little tired of lying in the dark with little to no idea where he was and why, Sasuke decided to try and sit up only for the pain in his head to intensify.

As he cursed under his breath, Naruto's booming voice came thundering into his ears before being given a chance to say anything at all. "Sasuke! You're awake! Thank god!"

"Not so loud dobe! God damn!" he grumbled, scrunching his eyes against the pain in his head, the volume of the blonde's voice, and just how oddly bright the room was.

Naruto blinked in confusion. "What? Oh sorry." When he spoke again, it was in a lighter and thankfully softer volume that eased the pain in his aching head but a little. But only a little, which lucky for Sasuke was enough. "Are you okay?"

The raven somehow managed to hold himself up with one hand while the other was used to rub his eyes before they peeled open a little to look at the blonde sitting in the visitors' chair with a tired expression. "Other than feeling like I've been hit with a jackhammer? No I'm fine. Get tossed by exploding cars today?"

Looking disgruntled, Naruto just scowled at the man. "Haha. Very funny. So much to where I almost forgot to laugh. But seriously, what the hell happened to you?"

"You tell me. My head's feelin' like a ton of rock." Sasuke winced at the reference, his eyes scrunching shut again but didn't use his hand to rub the lids hoping to ease the throbbing pain. "In an earthquake."

Naturally concerned, Naruto watched the raven-haired man as he spoke. "Well, all I can say is that you're in the hospital. Again. But they tell me all you need is an hour and then you can leave."

"How long have I been here?" Sasuke inquired, honestly curious since he'd lost track of time and wasn't in much condition to look for a clock. With his eyes closed no less.

Naruto almost stared at the ceiling, clearly in thought. "It's almost two in the afternoon so I gotta say… an hour and a half tops? Other than the all-nighter you pulled last time you were here, I'm guessing that's a bit of a record for you."

"Now who's the one making jokes?" Sasuke deadpanned, somehow managing to open an eye to glare at the blonde.

But somehow, Naruto's serious expression told him that the blonde wasn't in the mood for his sarcastic annoyance. "I was serious on the 'what happened' part."

"Where am I?" the raven inquired, unsure of why he felt disoriented despite Naruto's earlier words.

Instantly confused, the blonde didn't know what else to say but the truth as he gave the raven yet another look of concern. "The hospital… I thought you knew that. Are you sure you're okay?"

Through the sudden grogginess that filled his mind, Sasuke was barely able to shake his head at the question before letting himself fall back against the pillow. "No. I don't think I am."

"Want me to get a nurse?" he barely heard Naruto inquire from his left.

"Not really. I just want to lie here." Sasuke said in a soft tone Naruto didn't have much trouble hearing amidst the silence that filled the room.

"Ah. Okay, I can dig that."

Silence followed, Naruto trying not to watch as the raven-haired man on the bed tried to hide the pain surging through his head like pounds of the hammer on a nail. And it looked like the man's discomfort wouldn't stop for some time. When nearly three minutes of quiet had gone by, Naruto spoke up again. "Do you know who attacked you today?"

The raven still hadn't opened his eyes but had turned his head in the blonde's general direction, his face smooth and pale in the light. "…No."

"Yes you do. Only you won't tell me. Why is that?" Naruto inquired, his tone perfectly serious enough to make Sasuke force his eyes open.

"I…. I…" he began to say, only to fall silent, his midnight black orbs swirling with emotions Naruto had never seen before.

Blue eyes matching the sky in the middle of summer bore down on the raven-haired man, their fierceness nearly making the raven look away as the blonde practically growled at him in frustration. "You what? I can sit here all day and wait for you to stop saying 'I' every two seconds. Either tell me or I'll go find out for myself."

Sasuke could only sigh in defeat. "…Fine, I'll tell you. Just… just promise me you won't tell Kakashi."

Naruto just shook his head, as serious as before. "I can't make that kind of promise to you Sasuke. He's my boss, and he seems pretty fixated on chewing you out over somethin'. All I want is to hear it from you. Whatever it is, I'm willing to sit here until you tell me."

Forcing himself to sit up, his black eyes staring right into blue ones, Sasuke just had to ask the man in front of him. "How can you put up with me? I've been living in your house for practically a month and you've never questioned anything about me while I listened to you go on and on about yourself all day. Why now? Yeah… you helped me out and all but… I don't get it. Do you really think I'm as big on exposing myself to the world as you?"

The blonde just shrugged, a calm smirk flowing across his features. "I don't know. You haven't told me that yet. Mind telling me about it now?"

"How could someone so dimwitted be so confusing?" Sasuke deadpanned again, this time hitting a sensitive nerve.

"SAY WHAT? WHAT'D YOU CALL ME TEME?!?" Naruto roared angrily, the smirk and serious calm having dissolved completely to give way to unchecked rage.

It wasn't long before Sasuke was using both hands to try and ease the throbbing pain in his head, his eyes having scrunched shut again. "Dobe! Not so loud! Didn't I tell you before? Jesus!"

"Fuckin' teme! I'll wring your neck for that!" Naruto hissed angrily, his sapphire orbs flashing with barely contained rage and indignation.

Sasuke managed to scoff at him through his agony. "Oh come now. Not in a hospital you wouldn't."

_Dammit! He got me with that one._ The blonde cursed, hands gripping the arms of the visitors' chair as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Just you wait wise ass. I'll give you what for later. How about those odds huh teme?"

Finding the ability to lie back down, a knowing smirk on his face, Sasuke just whispered the following words. "We'll see about that dobe, we'll see."

The two let the silence stretch, Naruto having reined his anger as he watched the raven-haired man on the hospital bed slip back into unconsciousness.

--_**Meanwhile, Out In The Hallway**_—

After being told off by a pissed blonde coworker, Kakashi felt pretty bad for himself since sheepish and embarrassed probably didn't cut it. Never had he felt this way in a long time, and that was after everybody in his elementary school found out he'd been the one who nearly flooded the place due to using one too many firecrackers in one of the toilets. They sent him home for two weeks before having him serve nearly three months of after school and lunch detention. And thanks to a couple other kids stuck in there with him, never in his life had he to cover his head more than once to keep them from getting spitballs into his platinum blonde hair. A teacher nearly had to take scissors to it when one of them was wiseass enough to shoot gum and not spit saturated paper.

Ignoring the horror he felt when the almost elderly lady came at him with something they normally used on paper, Kakashi sat in the hallway of his local hospital with the vague wonderings of how much more his blonde counterpart would yell at him for invading his privacy and accusing his semi-new roommate of things he'd never known the man to have done. _Maybe I should've just listened to Neji in the first place and just waited until that Sasuke guy actually came clean. I'm such an ass._

"KAKASHI!!" Normally the person who had such a voice was the wonder of his life, but now, he was the mad cat let out of the box. In short, here came Iruka Umino, kind and sweet to all who know and possibly secretly love him, polite and inoffensive at every cost there was to pay. But right now, his seething mood could make anyone wonder if the normally nice man was bipolar as he came down on the silver haired police chief like a falcon that just found something good to eat.

Having paled enough to consider deathly sick, said police chief was frozen in his chair as his brown haired lover glared at him with eyes so sharp, he was sure he was bleeding somewhere. In the hopes of getting away for once in his life, Kakashi tried to put on an innocent face even though his voice was close to cracking. "Uh.. Hey 'Ruka… um how are things back at the office?"

The use of his pet name didn't sway him one bit. "I oughtta ring your neck for trying to snoop around behind Naruto's back. And mine too! How could you?"

"Um… you see, I can explain--." Kakashi began before Iruka swiftly cut him off, making him wince.

"You can explain WHEN YOU STOP TRYING TO LIE!" the man roared, looking and sounding truly angry as Kakashi desperately tried to think of a way out of the rut he'd gotten himself into somehow.

_I'm in deep shit now._ "Now, now 'Ruka-chan… there's no need to get angry. I was just trying to make sure that the guy checked out okay."

"'Checked out okay' my ass!" he nearly roared through gritted teeth, his face turning another shade of red to almost look turnip purple. "And what the hell were you thinking anyway? You nearly got stuck in a hospital bed yourself!! What the fuck happened over there?!?"

It was rare to hear Iruka swear. Rarer still to hear him swear in a clearly infuriated voice that made him on edge of yelling his lungs out. Somehow, Kakashi felt really lucky that his lover hadn't moved on to the 'eerily calm but still pissed voice' just yet. Then he knew he'd have to watch himself for a while. Yet, he could easily tell he was far from being in the clear. And Kiba was unfortunate enough to come walking back with two cups of coffee in his hands to find Kakashi looking like death with Iruka red in the face and an expression so fierce, the brunette nearly turned around to walk the other way to avoid provoking the man further.

If not for the fact that a bored looking man dressed in a expensive suit and a trench coat that almost made him look like a military man if it weren't long enough to cover his knees. Brown hair in a spiky tail obviously to pointy for a hat, the man came walking up as if he had nothing better to do. As if his dull, toneless voice wasn't enough to explain just how utterly bored the man really was at that moment. "Hey. Which one of you's Chief Kakashi?"

Blinking in surprise, Kakashi gave the newcomer a curious look. "Uh… that would be me. Who're you exactly?"

Ignoring Kiba and the still fuming Iruka completely, the man spoke again in his 'I'm bored as fucking hell and it sucks like bad eggs' voice as he pulled out his wallet that contained a rather official badge within. "The name's Shikamaru Nara. I'm here on behalf of the FBI."

His single eye narrowing a bit, now completely serious, Kakashi went into full business mode as he got up to stand some distance away from the man. "The FBI? What do you guys want with me?"

Indicating the door with his head after putting the badge away, Shikamaru drawled on, his expression unchanged. "It concerns the man inside that room. A certain Sasuke Uchiha?"

_He knows Sasuke? But how? And why the FBI? What the fuck did that guy do to get the feds all over his ass?_ "Sorry but last I checked, the dude's only allowed one visitor at a time." Kiba said in a voice he hoped sounded somewhat polite despite his normal half-surfer/half gangster lingo.

Taking a step forward past Kakashi, the man made moves towards the closed door beyond them. "Then I guess you won't mind if I--."

It was Iruka's turn to intervene this time. "Actually we do mind. You see, someone's already in there and I doubt they want to be disturbed right now."

_There's already a visitor? What a drag._ Seeing it as his cue to back off since it was three against one, the brunette's mood didn't change as he turned to walk the way he'd come. "Alright then. Mind tellin' me when Mr. Uchiha will be available?"

Kakashi just shrugged, holding his ground as best as he could. "No idea. But you can check with his doctor though."

"I think I'd rather just--." Shikamaru began, only for Kakashi to suddenly pop back into his view. He actually blinked at how truly serious what little he could see of the older man's face looked.

Tone firm and meaning business, Kakashi towered over the now slightly surprised brunette who had to take a step back to look up at him properly. "I don't think you understood me good sir. You, yes you, will have to check with Uchiha-san's doctor. In the meantime, I suggest you leave."

_Ugh. What a complete drag._ Now completely beaten, the brunette gave the taller man a sour look. "Fine. But we're not done here."

"Yes, yes we are." And with that, the man was gone while nearly a hundred questions popped into their minds in as to why a guy from one of the highest levels of law enforcement would come to see a guy hardly any of them had known for at least a month now.

--_**With Naruto**_—

Sasuke had been asleep for over twenty minutes, and the nearly two-year-old magazines weren't helping deal with his boredom. He really wanted to talk to the raven-haired man about his attacker and why he'd been attacked to begin with. _Could what Kakashi said be true? Is he really what he says he is? Or is this just a bad dream? No, I know Sasuke well enough to know he wouldn't do things like that. … Would he? But, if that's true… then why is he so different now?_

--_**Flashback**_—

_Wednesday, the rarest of days for good weather to happen but that normally depended on the season in question. A light rain had come down earlier that morning, causing the concrete, the old red bricks, and the tar to look darker than it really was. Since it was autumn, it was also naturally cold as Naruto caught a glimpse of his guardian exiting his hard earned Saturn that he'd parked across the street. Smiling almost like a fool, the blonde didn't hesitate to open the window to call down the man._

"_Iruka-sensei!" he yelled above the sound of passing cars and loud wind._

_Perking up at his name, the older man paused and looked up only to smile with an amused laugh and a friendly wave. "Haha! Good morning Naruto!!"_

"_Came for a visit?" Naruto inquired, leaning on the windowsill a little as he gave the man a smile of his own._

_Iruka just chuckled, nodding as he continued his walk for the apartment building door with the smile still on his face. "You know it!"_

"_I'll get the coffee started!" Naruto managed to call down before the older man vanished from below._

_Shutting the window and humming a cheerful tune as he made his way towards the kitchen, a sleepy and confused Sasuke sat up on the couch as his midnight black eyes fell on the now happy blonde moving around some distance away._

"_What's gotten into you?" he inquired, tone emotionless but curious as well as sleepy from his latest nap._

_Almost jumping at the other man's voice, Naruto's happy expression instantly changed to a concerned one. "Sasuke? You shouldn't be up! Go back to sleep you!"_

"_Did somethin' happen?" the raven asked, completely ignoring the blonde's demand for him to sleep some more._

"_No! But we have a guest so since you're awake, you can be polite for once in your life. You got me?" Naruto growled as he pulled out a coffee can from one of the kitchen cupboards._

"_A guest?" still a little sleepy and confused, Sasuke looked around to the room and saw nothing but out of focus furniture. "I don't see anybody."_

"_I just saw him downstairs. He's on his way up." Naruto deadpanned as he continued his task of making coffee for the 'unknown' newcomer._

_Even more confused, Sasuke sat up even more, trying to get his mind in gear as he fought to keep his words from being slurred. The last thing he wanted was to sound like a good for nothing drunk recovering from a nasty hangover. "He? Who's he?"_

"_You'll see when he gets here!" Naruto insisted, making Sasuke fall silent with a stoic shrug of his thin shoulders. Whoever it was, the guy was important enough to lift Naruto's spirits. Of all the time he'd known the blonde, never had he seen him so happy about another person. Except for Kiba. But Naruto's partner was the blonde's best friend from the police academy but not that kind of happy. This guy probably knew Naruto a lot longer than Kiba did._

_At least ten minutes later, a knock on the door alerted them both of the new arrival as Naruto happily made his way to let their visitor in. Sasuke couldn't really hear what was said between the two since his brain was still a little sluggish from sleep and painkillers. Deciding that the conversation had nothing to do with him, he just lay back down and let sleep kick in again._

--_**A Few Minutes Later**_—

_The blonde man's apartment hadn't changed that much since he'd last seen it with his own two eyes. Back then, it'd been a little dustier and disheveled. Now, it was freshly clean and organized like most homes should look. He could only stare with shocked eyes at the sight of the place._

"_Naruto! It's… it's so clean! What happened?!" he demanded, giving the blonde a look of disbelief at his sudden need for clean._

"_Uh… I got a roommate?" the blonde said, hesitant about the meaning of the older man's reaction._

"_You what?" Iruka exclaimed, blinking in surprise. "Since when?"_

_Naruto shrugged. "Since he got shot at a mini mart when a bunch of guys tried to rob it and he didn't have a place to stay. That's when."_

"_A-and you didn't tell me?" the brunette almost shouted due to his amazement, close to being in shock of the blonde's actions._

"_Well you didn't tell me you and Kakashi were dating so, yeah, consider this payback for withholding stuff from me." Naruto deadpanned, not looking guilty in the slightest._

_Iruka just went a little pink from annoyance. "That's not fair at all!"_

_The blonde just smiled as he turned away from his guardian. "Life isn't fair so unless you want that coffee I suggest you drop the subject."_

_At the word 'coffee', Iruka instantly perked, his expression changing dramatically as he followed Naruto towards the kitchen. "Consider it dropped. Which flavor is it?"_

"_Master Blend. I know you really like that one." The blonde said absently as he searched the cupboards for two clean mugs._

_Iruka was instantly suspicious. "Okay. What did you do now?"_

"_What? Nothing! I didn't do shit! What makes you think I did somethin'?" Naruto nearly stammered nervously, hoping his reaction wouldn't give him away._

_No luck as the older brunette looked far from amused with the blonde. "You don't normally make Master Blend for me Naruto. You did something so spill it."_

"_I'm telling you I didn't do anything! I swear now will you let it be already?" the blonde snapped defensively. Keeping his cool under Iruka's gaze was always a hard thing for him to do, especially when he suspected something._

"_Actually no." Iruka deadpanned, holding his ground like he always did in an argument such as this._

"_And why is that?" Naruto growled, narrowing his eyes at the older man to show his growing annoyance at his persistence._

"_Because I know you're lying to me." He deadpanned again._

_Fuck. Inwardly cursing, Naruto finally caved in. "Fine, fine! I talked to Kakashi about you and him. Good enough for you?"_

"_What did you say exactly?" Iruka asked, still skeptical of the blonde and his unknown actions towards his new boyfriend._

"_Um…." The blonde's hesitation was enough to warn Iruka._

"_Naruto--!" he began before Naruto cut him off._

"_I didn't do anything except give him a warning okay? Sheesh!"_

_Iruka just narrowed his eyes, wondering what kind of 'warning' Kakashi might've received from the twenty-one year old. "What kind of warning are we talking here?"_

"_The 'I'll kill you if you make any wrong moves' kind?" he said hesitantly, backing away from his guardian in case he came at him with deadly intent._

_Iruka just yelled. "Naruto!"_

_The blonde winced at the volume but managed to keep himself together. "What?! I'm just trying to make sure the thing with Mizuki isn't repeated okay?! We didn't know that bastard was a sick fuck until it was almost too late!"_

_Wincing at his memories about his ex-boyfriend, Iruka could only rub the space between his eyes as he spoke. "I know, I know. But honestly Naruto! Don't you have any faith in him at all?"_

"_No."_

_Iruka went red in the face at this. "And why's that?"_

"_Because he's been my boss for at least two years and I know for a fact he's a real lazy and unreliable bastard." Naruto deadpanned, hoping the older man would believe him when he said this about his own coworker and boss._

_Sadly, it had no effect. "Uh huh."_

"_I'm serious!" Naruto said almost desperately, his voice and face showing uncertainty for the older man. "I'm just looking out for you that's all. Like when you used to look out for me."_

_Iruka merely sighed as he sat down at one of the counter's stools. "Well unlike you, I know how to see past someone's mask and I know Kakashi is nothing like that animal Mizuki."_

_Expression softening, a kind smile on his face, Naruto gave Iruka a knowing glance and he worked with the dark brew. "I can't change your mind can I?"_

"_Nope." He said with a smile in turn, trying to keep from laughing._

_Naruto sighed, the smile turning mischievous. "O-okay! 'Cause I've seen quite a few guys out there who just might be your type."_

"_N-Naruto!" Iruka exclaimed, a deep blush spreading across his scarred face._

_The blonde couldn't keep from laughing at the older man's reaction. "Kidding, kidding! You want that coffee or not?"_

"_Only if you stop with that nonsense!" Iruka scolded, fighting down the blush and how Kakashi would react to Naruto's offer._

"_Do you two really have to be so loud?" a voice inquired from behind him, making him nearly jump out of the stool in fright as he spun to see who it was._

"_AAH!!" Iruka yelled, only making the raven now several inches from him quickly brought his pale hands up to protect his ears._

_Naruto was the first to recover. "Sasuke! Don't do stuff like that!"_

_The blonde's loud voice only made the raven look more irritated. "Will you stop yelling? It's making my head hurt. Stupid dobe."_

"_Don't call me that! Fuckin' teme." Naruto grumbled as Sasuke claimed the stool next to Iruka's._

"_Who's this guy?" he growled, making Iruka wince at his annoyed tone._

_Naruto instantly bristled as he turned away from the cupboard. "'That guy' is our guest so be nice! I'd hate you if you scare him away after just getting here."_

"_Hn." __**I'm never goin' to get a decent nap today.**__ He thought, as he looked the older man over with a critical eye._

_Iruka saw no other choice but to try and introduce himself to the obviously grumpy raven-haired man now seated next to him. "Um… hello… I'm… I'm Iruka. Naruto's… guardian."_

"…_. Sasuke." He said with a nod. When silence followed, Iruka couldn't help but feel a little awkward._

_Naruto just rolled his eyes. "And I'm Naruto! Nice to meet you all! You want coffee teme?"_

"_Once my head stops hurting from you two yelling at each other." Sasuke grumbled with a sigh, using both hands to try and rub sleep and pain away from his face._

_Naruto had turned away and was searching for another coffee mug while Iruka was fully aware of Sasuke's annoyed reaction. "Yeah, sorry about that. We can get kinda rowdy sometimes."_

"_I noticed." The raven grumbled, Naruto continuing to ignore them._

_A bit unsure on what to say next to the man, Iruka tried the first thing that came to mind to ask. "So… Sasuke! Are you getting any better?"_

"_If the dobe doesn't yell my head off."_

_Naruto instantly bristled again. "Hey! I'm right here!"_

"_So?" the raven inquired, looking exasperated._

_The blonde just stood his ground. "So! Don't talk about me like that!"_

"_Hahaha. Okay you two! That's quite enough." Iruka said kindly, hoping to cool Naruto down._

_It seemed to work as Naruto grudgingly gave the raven a mug before sipping from his own, leaving the three to sit in silence. Oddly enough, Sasuke broke it._

"_You're almost like my brother." He said softly, his words almost unheard._

_Iruka could only turn towards the raven, a look of surprise on his face as he tried to understand what'd just been said. "Huh? I'm sorry?"_

"_You have a brother?" Naruto asked, looking just as surprised._

"_Had." Sasuke corrected, never once bringing his eyes up from looking down at the coffee mug in his hands._

"_Oh. Sorry." The blonde said, falling silent again._

"_I'm over it." He said just as softly as before, picking up the mug as he silently exited the room before vanishing down the hall._

_**Liar.**__ Naruto thought as he watched the raven leave._

_Iruka brought him out of his thought with the following words. "Don't let him get away Naruto."_

"_Huh?" he had to ask, completely clueless about what the older man meant._

_The brunette just smiled from over his mug. "You care about him."_

"_Well… yeah. He kinda lives with me." Naruto deadpanned in his annoyance, still not understanding what Iruka was getting at._

"_More than you care to admit." He said knowingly, still smiling._

_Naruto just bristled. "Say what?! What do you mean?"_

"_You like him don't you?" Iruka inquired, his smile widening mischievously._

"_Huh?!?" the blonde had to say, now completely confused about what his guardian was saying to him._

_Iruka set the mug down and rolled his eyes at the blonde. "Oh c'mon Naruto! Even I can see that you like him! Why can't you?"_

"_I…" why can't I? Am I that transparent? He thought as he scratched the back of his head, his mind racing for the answer. "I don't know. I just… I don't know if he'll like me back."_

"_You could try asking him." Iruka said calmly, picking the mug up again to sip the dark, heavenly brew inside._

"_No. No I can't do that. Then he'll think I'm weird and then…." __**Then he'll probably want nothing to do with me.**__ He thought, something he dared not say out loud even to himself._

_Iruka just sighed, the kind smile still on his lips. "Say what you want Naruto. But in the end… I think you'll thank me." He stood, leaving the empty mug on the counter as he gave the blonde a kind, warm expression. " Thanks for the coffee. See you at work?"_

"_Uh… yeah." Naruto said, still uncertain as the brunette headed for the door._

"_Bye!" he said cheerfully before shutting the door behind himself, leaving the blonde in his own kitchen._

"…_Later." Naruto said practically to himself before making moves to cleaning up what little activity had been performed before searching his own fridge for something to cook up later that night._

--_**End Flashback**_—

Staring at the man now, he knew that from what Kakashi had tried to tell him, the Sasuke he knew was very different from the one his boss tried to say existed. From what experience he had with the raven-haired man, he couldn't help but think that Kakashi was wrong in assuming such a thing. _But… what if he's right and I'm just denying the truth for what it really is? Was he telling the truth?_

Naruto sighed, purely exhausted by this point as he tried to push such thoughts aside for the moment. It'd been a long day for him and he didn't want it to get any longer than it already had, and that just wasn't healthy. Rising from the visitor's chair, Naruto quietly walked towards the door, gave the raven one last look of concern, then exited the room with only a small click from the small mechanisms within the door handle. He brought a hand up to hopefully wipe some fatigue away from his face as he vaguely spotted his three coworkers watching him in silence.

Of the three, Iruka spoke first. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah. He's just asleep right now. I think whatever that guy gave him is really taking its toll on him. From what I could tell, he seemed pretty out of it." The blonde said in a tired voice as he sat down in one of the chairs placed against one of the walls.

As if on cue, a certain half dead looking doctor walked up with a clipboard in one hand while another covered his mouth as he coughed a little. "Well I think I can tell you why."

"Do tell Hayate." Kakashi said pleasantly, all four of them giving the newcomer their full attention.

Hayate just smirked in amusement. "That I will. It seems that our supposed attacker has a certain degree of knowledge about medicine."

"The guy's a drug dealer?" Kiba asked, looking confused.

The sickly doctor just shook his head, actually looking uncertain. "Not really. I can't know for sure but it seems he knows what kinds of drugs to use on an unwilling individual."

Kakashi was instantly in cop mode. "Was he there to poison Sasuke?"

Again, Hayate shook his head, showing a little curiosity. "Actually no. Just to knock him out well enough to cart him off. Why… you can tell me when you ask him. He should be in the ICU right about now."

"Under heavy security I trust?" Iruka had to ask. Just knowing that the attacker was still in the building made him a little anxious, even if Kakashi, Kiba and Naruto were there to shoot the man back down.

For once, Hayate scowled as if in heart-felt anger towards the unnamed man. "I'll be damned if a freak like him gets loose in my hospital. If he can get his hands on something as powerful as Dramamine (1), then he could do whatever he wants with whatever else he can find."

"Thanks Hayate. And sorry for the trouble." Naruto had to say, smiling up at the man while fighting off a small fit of laughter towards his reaction to the mere mentioning of Sasuke's attacker.

Hayate just shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. As long as that kid doesn't start to come in a little too often, I got no problem with it."

This time, Naruto did laugh. "We'll keep that in mind."

Following Hayate, Kakashi and Kiba headed towards the ICU with the full intent of questioning a rather suspicious white haired character. This left Naruto and Iruka to themselves outside Sasuke's hospital room like they'd done only once before even though they'd already heard the doctor's verdict. Since he didn't feel up to standing around in silence, Iruka broke the silence between them first.

"So what now?" he said, his voice soft mainly since it was a hospital.

Naruto just rubbed his face with his hands, giving the older man a slight shrug of his tired shoulders. "Oh I don't know. I just hope that Sasuke might go ahead and spit up the truth about what's really going on around here. But I'm kinda thinkin' of hangin' around here until he wakes up again ya know? Make sure he's okay."

Iruka merely smiled at the blonde's words before turning to leave. "Don't stay up too long okay? You still have to work tomorrow."

"I know." He said, smiling as he fought off a yawn that almost brought a tear to his sky blue eyes.

The brunette chuckled at this sight as he began to make his way down the pristine white corridors, waving at the younger cop as he did. "Good night Naruto."

"Night Iruka-sensei." He said, watching the man leave before leaning back in the chair a little before letting his eyes close as the day's pent up fatigue kicked in.

--_**Elsewhere In The City**_—

"It seems that our agent has failed." An aggravated voice snarled from the darkness of a warehouse, lit only by a few meager flashlights or barely functioning bulbs slowly swinging from the light breeze flowing throughout the old building.

Another man, almost invisible in the dark just grinned devilishly, his voice a sly and mischievous hiss. "He's never let that happen before. How peculiar."

"There's a first time for everything. He was careless and now he's paying for it. If they learn what's going on they'll--!" the first voice snapped angrily before the hissing man cut him off.

"They won't! He's the best in his field when it comes to working for 'criminal' men like us. He'll redeem himself." The second man jeered, sounding purely insulted by the other man's words.

The first man just looked suspicious despite the blinding darkness that surrounded them like a blanket. "And if he doesn't?"

"Then we'll do it for him." the second man hissed playfully, his eyes flashing in the dim light of the bulbs overhead, one or two of them still swinging.

"What of the Uchiha?" anyone could tell the first man was still suspicious of the second, a sign that they didn't exactly get along that well.

The second man just shrugged carelessly like it didn't really matter to him all that much, the sneaky smile on his face white and toothy, a pair of fangs gleaming from the darkness he stood in. "You let me worry about the little traitor. But let our agent deal with it. As of right now, we have bigger fish to fry."

Instantly intrigued, the first man gave off a curious air. "Oh? Like who?"

The second man's smile became a pissed off sneer. "The brother. He was spotted a few weeks ago. Sad how careless he's become."

"Ah I see. Two birds with one stone." The second man said with a small laugh.

The second man just shook his head, the sneer giving way to a smile again. "More like three. The Uchiha is staying with a very familiar person. The Uzumaki brat."

"He's still alive?! Impossible!" the first stammered, obviously surprised by this news.

Smiling a little wider, the second man looked almost demonic. "Apparently not since he's been at the local precinct for almost three years."

"My, my, how time flies." The first mumbled, trying to keep himself from laughing in his newfound happiness over the circumstances. "What do you plan on doing about him?"

The second man merely shrugged casually, his teeth still shining a bit too well in the dim light of the place. "Like I do with every brick wall in my way: I knock it down."

"You're going to kill him?" the first inquired, a little surprised at the other man's reaction to his previous question on the matter.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on how I feel when I see him." the second said nonchalantly, still smiling wickedly as he gave the other an almost mocking but purely respective bow. "Good night and farewell my good friend in crime."

"Ha. Until another time." the first growled in amusement, also bowing before vanishing into the dark, leaving the second man behind him.

As soon as he was gone, the man in question became completely serious as he turned to another figure standing near the wall, his voice a low snarl. "How soon can you contact him?"

The figure, somehow calm and collected in the face of the man's anger, spoke in a almost toneless manner, bowing a little as he answered his superior's question. "I don't know sir but I can try to reach him. It's possible he's been incapacitated and is unable to perform his task."

His anger cooling a little, the man just rubbed his chin, gears in his head spinning as he thought over his options. "Hm. I see. Well, be sure to send a few of ours his way and try to complete the task from there on out. No more failures."

"Of course not sir." The man said, bowing even lower before raising his head to give the other man his own demon smile as he spoke in revered tones. We're always loyal to you. My lord, Orochimaru."

The snake man just smirked, one of his snake-like fangs visible in the dim lit room as his golden eyes flashed dangerously. "Just get going."

"Hai." He didn't need to be told twice as he quickly vanished, leaving his leader by himself and a few others meant to answer any other command.

As he left the old warehouse behind, Orochimaru couldn't help but laugh like a mad man before vanishing into the night like his fellow monsters, and a grin so wide one could swear that if it stretched anymore, it really would stick that way.

And one of our villains is revealed! One of you out there already guessed spot on when it came to ol' Snake Bastard but can they guess who the other guy is? But for now, that wraps up chapter 6 as we move things along. And we actually have notes today for those who're curious. I won't mind if you guys skip over it but it's there for those who really want to know what I'm talkin' about. So here it is:

1) _Dramamine_: this stuff, also known as a dimenhydrinate, is meant for those with motion sickness. In other words, an antihistamine designed to help those who don't really travel that often due to nausea and vomiting. Side affects can be dry mouth, headaches, dizziness along with drowsiness and stomach upsets. It was the only one I could find that could be taken either through injection or through the mouth. This bad boy can be found by its other trade name, Dommanate.

Well that all I've got for now other than to say what's to come in this chapter's preview but in the meantime, I just gotta thank those reading this for sticking with me and my story this far into its development. …. Yeah I really don't know what else to say other than thanks and enjoy what's to come!! I think I'll just get on with things before I start crying like the little baby I know I'm not so…. Yeah I'll just shut up now.

Next chapter:

Chapter 7: Demons Of The Past Come To Light

With Sasuke once again in the hospital and Naruto still in the dark, beings of the night begin to move towards achieving a long-awaiting reprisal for actions yet to be clarified. Where is Sasuke's brother anyway? Can Kakashi and friends help the raven in time to clear up suspicions and answer questions? And what exactly does the FBI want from Sasuke to begin with? Is there really more to Sasuke than meets the eye? Can Naruto put the pieces together to keep him from another pending attack? Find out when '_Drifting No More_' returns in:

_**Chapter 7: Demons Of The Past Come To Light!!**_


	7. Chapter 7: Demons Of The Past

We come back once again to continue the riveting tale of Naruto the cop and Sasuke the mysterious man with a past that bites. And man is the past gonna bite! Cold-hearted forces are on the move to get rid of Sasuke for good but can the long arms of the law stop them in time? Or will someone else step into harm's way? Find out as the story continues for another chapter. I don't own Naruto in any shape or form but I hear Sarge's still tryin' to get her hands on Kiba. You go girl! Read on and enjoy!!

"Iii" speech

_Iii_ thought

Chapter 7: Demons Of The Past Come To Light

Just staring at the guy was making him sick to the stomach. Never had he seen what the man lying on the hospital bed had done. There was something definitely unnatural about him, and Kakashi knew that only the really crazy ones got the best of the best to work for them. Single eye glaring at the prone form firmly handcuffed to the hospital bed in the ICU section, with two armed guards watching the door and the hall beyond it, Kakashi Hatake turned away from the bed in disgust. Nearly slamming the door behind himself, he came close to stomping down the hall towards the nurse's station where he caught a middle-aged woman by surprise.

"Um can I assist you sir?" she inquired, her blush and formal manner showing how truly new she was.

Barely able to hide his anger, Kakashi spoke in a purely calm and controlled tone to avoid lashing out at the poor woman. "Yes actually. Can you tell me when the doctor the patient in room 29 will be showing up?"

Sifting through papers and files for a moment, the woman was quick to answer, giving him a truly honest expression. "Hm. Sorry I can't. Are you a relative or a--?"

This response only made him irritated as he scowled at the woman. "I'm a cop and I'd really like to know when that doctor will be here."

"O-oh! O-of course sir! Just one moment please." She stammered while looking truly startled at this information since Kakashi was dressed in civil attire.

"Thank you." He said, managing to keep his anger in check as the woman grabbed a clipboard and went rushing down the hall.

"A bit testy are we?" a familiar, warm voice inquired from behind him, making him turn to see a rather amused Iruka.

Kakashi just shrugged at the question, just looking annoyed. "How can you not be? The guy tried to attack that kid. Just think about if it'd been Naruto and not Sasuke."

"You didn't have to say it like that." Iruka said as his own expression shifted to concern and deliberation even as Kakashi went on.

"Still mad at me?" he couldn't help but ask, hoping the subject change would get rid of his anger for the moment.

"Kinda. Just don't go behind our backs like that." Iruka scolded, making Kakashi nod in acceptance before he went on. "Kiba already told me about how mad Naruto was when they got here. Did you really have to talk to him?"

Kakashi knew exactly who Iruka was talking about, looking away as he spoke. "I just… I just want to make sure that guy isn't bad news. That's all. Okay?"

"Hm. You could've had the decency to tell Naruto ahead of time." the brunette said warmly, moving closer to the silver haired man. Thankfully no one was watching to see just how seductive the move truly might've been as Kakashi tried to keep his cool.

"Yeah, I could've." He said, knowing Iruka was pressing him for answers in a way he couldn't exactly resist, trying hard to keep his voice from going rough.

Without missing a beat, Iruka just gave him a curious look. "But you didn't. Why?"

Kakashi could only shrug again, still staring at the wall and away from his boyfriend. "I didn't want to make him upset with me, like you were." Finally he looked Iruka right in the eye. "He seems to be pretty defensive of him. Don't you think that's odd?"

Iruka could only scratch his chin, his thoughts swirling in his head. "Hmm. Just a little. I'm sure he has his reasons."

This made the police chief instantly curious. "Oh really? Like what exactly?"

"Kakashi." Iruka growled in warning.

The man's tone was enough to warn him off. "Okay fine. But I'm still not gonna let that guy off the hook."

"And why's that?" the brunette asked out of his own curiosity.

Kakashi could only shake his head, his single eye only showing confusion and loss of words. "There's… there's something off about him. It's really hard to explain but there's some way that I can't think of. And I can't quite put my finger on it."

Iruka just appeared thoughtful at this statement. "Well, when I met him, he seemed pretty normal. A little strange I admit but otherwise he was really quiet. Like he wasn't really much of a talker."

"That much I gathered when I spoke to him." Kakashi growled, sounding purely annoyed at how said conversation had gone. Even though the two had spoken just an hour or two beforehand, the raven's monotone responses still irked him to no end.

But his boyfriend didn't seem all that disturbed. "And I'm betting he has reasons of his own for keeping quiet."

"Would you tell me if you knew?" Kakashi inquired, finally looking down at the brunette with a questioning look.

"If I knew, you'd know already. But then again…." Iruka's words faded, as he seemed to fall into deep thought.

Kakashi waited until his patience finally gave out. "Then again what?"

The brunette just smiled kindly, the police chief barely able to see the mischief in the man's expression. "No, I think I'll keep quiet too."

"N-nani?! H-hey! Come back here!" he called as Iruka calmly walked away with an intriguing smile on his face.

"See you at home… 'Kashi." Iruka called in an obviously playful manner, making Kakashi blush deeply before the man disappeared through a doorway just as the nurse returned with an unfamiliar man in a white coat.

"You wanted to see me officer?" he inquired, appearing concerned not only for himself, but also for whatever was bothering the man in front of him.

Fighting down the blush to show his former annoyance, Kakashi turned to the man with a determined face. "Um yes I did. When can you tell me the patient in room 29 will be well enough to answer some mandatory questions?"

Scratching his chin as the nurse walked back to her station, the doctor could only give him a thoughtful expression. "To be honest, I can't really say for sure but I can give him something to wake him up for you if that's what you need."

"That would be appreciated." Kakashi said as calmly as his throat would allow as he fought off the thoughts of just when Iruka had learned to be so seductive.

Lucky for him, the doctor didn't really notice his inner turmoil. "I'll get right on it then."

"Thanks." He said, following the man back into the hospital room where the white haired man lay unconscious. The fact that his hair was white bothered Kakashi a little, to where he could swear it was dyed and not a natural color. But since it went all the way down to the roots, he could only wonder if the guy was half albino. That wasn't really the issue however, since the police chief was still miffed at what the man had attempted to do not only in his presence, but also to someone near to him was growing oddly fond of. Whether he knew of it or not.

So with shrinking patience and his anger with a shortened fuse, Kakashi just watched as the man in the white coat stuck the end of a needle into the unconscious man's IV before stepping away to take a look at the clipboard near the end of the man's bed. As he did this, dark eyes fluttered open, hands moving to rub away the sleep only to notice the handcuffs holding them in place. Not to mention the less than pleased cop glaring from only a few inches away from the bed itself.

Kakashi didn't bother waiting very long. "Who are you and who do you work for?"

Smirking almost nonchalantly, the man gave him an almost wicked face, speaking in-between chuckles of possible insanity. "The Uchiha's still alive I take it? Good thing he only got half the dose."

"Good thing you're already in a hospital." Kakashi snarled angrily, using his right hand to press down on the gunshot wound, making the white haired man hiss between clenched teeth as he brought his face dangerously close to his. "Where I can easily say what your new diagnosis will be if I don't get answers. Right now."

The man only chuckled some more, the smile still on his lips. "You so sure about that? 'Cause once you know, there's no turning back."

Kakashi didn't feel like backing down just yet. Not when he was this angry. "Tell me or I'll start breaking things."

"Officer I don't think that's--." The doctor didn't get to say more when Kakashi suddenly brought his left hand up in a fist and brought it crashing down on the man's left arm, causing a cracking noise to fill the room.

The man's reaction was instantaneous, his voice loud as his dark eyes quickly filled with small tears of pain. "GAAAH! YOU BASTARD!"

"Talk dammit!" Kakashi ordered, his single eye flashing dangerously.

Like before, the doctor attempted to intervene. "Officer please--!" just in time for Kakashi to bring his fist down again, only this time into the man's ribs.

CRACK. "AARGH!" the man screamed again, this time he turned his eyes towards Kakashi in all out rage and agony. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"Talk or I'll move on to your fingers!" the police chief warned, his eye alight with growing anger as he ignored the doctor along with the two nurses who'd come rushing in to see what was the matter. Seeing just who it was, they quickly left. Everyone knew better than to mess with an enraged cop, especially if it was the Chief of Police himself giving a criminal a rather nasty beating in a house of medicine.

Somehow fighting back tears through his agony, the man kept quiet, silently glaring at the silver haired man standing over him with death in his eye. The doctor had fallen silent from horror, his face a little green at the sight before him as he tried to keep from intervening. Kakashi just straightened, his eye hidden by the shadows his hair created before taking hold of the man's index finger, and pulling backwards.

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHH!**_" was all the man could get out as Kakashi went on in a deadly voice.

"Now you're going to answer my questions honestly or so help me, you'll be needing others to sign papers for you. Understand?" his tone alone was enough to say he meant business. He was done with kidding around.

"Y-yes." The man stammered, now looking purely horrified through his pain and tear filled eyes as he hoped the cop would refrain from breaking another one of his fingers.

Anger still boiling but had subsided for the moment, Kakashi straightened to still hovered like an angel of death. "Good. Now then: who are you?"

"K-Kabuto. Kabuto Yakushi." The man stammered, gasping a little for air through chocked sobs of pain and moans of agony.

"Yakushi huh? I've heard of you. You're one of those docs for hire." Kakashi grumbled, satisfied with the answer. "So far, so good. Next question: who do you work for?"

This made Kabuto pale a little, his eyes darkening with fear through his pain. "I-I can't! They'll kill me!"

"Can't say 'cause you're scared? Or because you're so low they don't want you to know? Which is it? This middle finger can't stay straight forever you know." The chief warned with a nasty growl, his hand already preparing to grab and pull with an almost monstrous vigor.

"T-the White Vipers!" Kabuto cried desperately, causing Kakashi to let his hand drop to his side.

_White Vipers? I haven't heard that name in quite a while. What exactly do they want with Uchiha Sasuke? Might as well ask since I'm here._ Eye narrowed in suspicion of being lied to, Kakashi went deadly serious again. "If that's true, what does Sasuke have to do with them? He not pay off a debt or somethin'?"

Much to his surprise, Kabuto shook his head. "No… h-he tried to back out. Now the boss's pissed as hell at him. Wants him to come back and pay for tryin' to leave before he was allowed to."

Naturally curious, Kakashi had to ask. "Which was?"

Kabuto was somehow able to smirk and chuckle through all his pain and quiet sobs. "Hehe. Never of course."

_Sick freaks._ He thought as he tried to keep from punching the man's lights out for even making such a face at him. "Will anyone else be showing up?"

"No idea. But if they do, they'll either come for him… or for me." He said, the smirk still on his face with hints of insanity mixed in. Kakashi just stared with mild disgust at the man in front of him.

"Hm. Then I guess you can rest assured that you'll be in jail as soon as you're able to stand on your own." He growled before turning onto the new truly nervous doctor standing near the wall, looking a little pale from what he'd just witnessed. "Doctor, he's all yours."

Even as he coolly walked away, Kakashi was barely able to hear the poor man's whispered reply. "H-hai."

Nurses were already rushing to deal with the man's new injuries as Kakashi headed right for the elevator. He was going to have a chat with a certain Uchiha just as soon as he was conscious enough to give some decent answers. _If Naruto lets me talk to him that is._ He thought as he pressed the up button, hoping the blonde's response wouldn't be as negative as before.

--_**Meanwhile**_—

It was easy to find the coffee machine after telling his boss he'd be back after getting them some. _Might as well get Naruto some. He hasn't had anything in almost two hours since Kakashi called in to say what happened at his apartment._ Letting out a tired sigh, Kiba finally saw how futile it was to carry three cups at once. _Damn._

Seeing no real point in choosing, the brunette grabbed two of the cups and made his way back to Sasuke's hospital room with full knowledge that Kakashi would meet him there, whether he had three cups of coffee on hand or not. He couldn't help but wonder just what the hell else could possibly happen next to screw up their already screwy lives.

--_**With Naruto**_—

Falling asleep in a chair can always turn out to be a bad idea. _Shit._ He thought as he as he tried to get the kinks out of his now really sore back. _Especially since one kinda half expected to be home sleeping in one's own bed by now and not seated outside a hospital room where the guy you secretly love's recuperating from yet another attack on his life._

This thought, by itself, startled Naruto quite a bit. _Wait… love? Do I really like this guy that much? What's gotten into me?!?_ He thought, closing his eyes as he turned away from the ceiling to scowl at the floor.

An ever-familiar voice brought him out of his thoughts, making him look up to find the source. "Hey Naruto! You feelin' okay?"

Spotting Kiba walking up to him from his right, Naruto just gave him a curious look. "Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

Taking the seat next to him with a smirk, Kiba just chuckled. "Didn't we agree that thinking was bad for you?"

"You want me to punch you?" Naruto growled, purely annoyed at this.

The brunette only chuckled at him some more, holding out one of the cups to the blonde. "If you did that, I'd spill your coffee. Here."

"Thanks." He muttered, taking it from his partner, staring at the dark brew rather than drinking it right off.

Kiba watched him for a few seconds before finally speaking again. "So what's really bothering you?"

Naruto just shook his head almost hopelessly, his voice and face showing true, heartfelt confusion. "I don't know how to explain it."

"Then try. I'm all ears dude." The dog man said coolly. He could tell where the conversation was headed.

The blonde could only slump his shoulders, his blue eyes focused on either the cup in his hands or the floor beyond it. "Ever since the incident at that shop, I couldn't help but wonder what was it about him that… made him like he is. But since he got attacked today after they broke into _my_ apartment to get to him, I just want to know what he's not telling me. Do I even have the right to know?"

"Maybe he's afraid." Kiba grumbled with a shrug, sipping his own coffee.

Looking up confused, Naruto just stared at his partner. "What?"

Kiba just shrugged again, not looking at his friend. "I said, maybe he's afraid not only for himself, but for you."

"Afraid for me?" somehow, this concept didn't really click with Naruto as he just stared at his friend and partner with the most confused expression he could muster.

The brunette rolled his eyes, personally amused at his friend's lacking knowledge on the matter as he spoke. "Well, the dude that attacked him looked a bit too intelligent to just be a hired gun so maybe, Sasuke's just scared that you'll end up in the line of fire instead of him."

"If that was true, why didn't he--?" Naruto began only to get cut off by a stern look from Kiba.

"Don't ask me man. I ain't him. Ask him when he's better. Okay?" he said, his voice perfectly serious before going for another sip of coffee.

"Yeah." Naruto mumbled, staring down at the floor again as he finally took a sip of his own before it got cold.

"Need a ride home?" Kiba asked suddenly, causing Naruto to look up.

"Huh?" he shook his head, leaning back in his chair. "Nah. I'm gonna stick around. Might catch a ride with Kakashi though."

"Alrighty. Have it your way man. Later." The brunette said after getting up and walking away with a wave of his free hand.

"See ya later." Managed to say just before the other man was too far away to hear him over the dim of hospital ruckus.

--_**Meanwhile, Downstairs**_—

Business as usual when it came to a hospital lobby. People waiting in perfectly controlled silence, others too busy crying over the loss and/or possible loss of a loved one while the rest just seemed to be chatting amongst themselves regardless of the slightly depressing atmosphere. Nothing all that new when it came to such a place of pain and sometimes, complete agony. A nurse or two in colorful, sometimes utterly wacky printed clothing passed this crowd of family members and mourners by as if walking through a park on a spring afternoon on a dreary Tuesday.

Only problem was, this scene would cease to exist once the rather ominous group of men finally got through the glass doors separating the big, bad world from the tiny globe of pain mixed with happiness were pulled open by deviously blood-stained hands paired with cold eyes and nasty smiles. A nurse at the head desk looked up, mildly surprised at the sight before her aged eyes as she stood her ground against their practically demonic aura and jeering expressions. Following protocol as demanded by tradition and conditioned practice, the woman said the usual line to the apparent leader of the dreary rabble. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah. You can help me alright." A gun was suddenly in her face, a slight click making her wrinkled face come close to going smooth as he calmly went on. "You can tell me where to find a certain patient if you'd be so kind."

Before she had the chance to scream, the man had pulled the trigger, sending brain, bone, blood and chunks of hair all over the floor. People screamed and hit the deck as a few more nurses were shot, the men still smiling like they were demons straight from the Nine Rings of Hell.

_This elevator's moving too slow! Dammit to hell. What a complete and utter drag…. I swear Temari's gonna have my head over this whole thing._ Shikamaru thought to himself in heart-felt annoyance, vaguely wondering if he should light a cigarette once outside the hospital zone as the ding of the moving metal box brought him back to reality in time for the doors to slide open. Only to get a gun shoved into his face, the dark barrel hole threatening to put a small half-inch bullet composed of either lead, steel or iron to put an slightly bigger hole in-between his eyes.

Eyebrow twitching in annoyance as he tried to keep his cool, Shikamaru Nara could only glare at the grinning face at the safe end of the firearm. That is until the crazy looking man got too close, the gun a bit too close to the FBI agent's face and in close proximity of his hands which came flying up, hands grabbing the man's wrist and giving it a rough twist while the other came rushing forward to smash his nose in. Grunting at the pain in his face and wrist, the thug tried to pull away only to get punched again, a knee in the gut before the edge of a hand came down on the back of his neck. Somehow able to keep the deadweight man to fall to the floor of the metal box, Shikamaru brought the man all the way in and just barely managed to press '7' on the console.

Roughly letting the man half fall to the floor, the federal agent pulled the man's sleeve back to reveal, much to his disgust and dismay, the head of a white snake with golden yellow eyes glaring up at him. _Shit._ He thought as he stood up again, staring at the doors before grabbing the thug's from the floor and his own from his shoulder hostler hidden under his jacket. _Today's not gonna end well._

The small 'bing' of the elevator reaching its destination alerted him soon enough as the doors slowly slide open, only to reveal a rather surprised looking Iruka. Blinking in innocent confusion, the brunette investigator stared at the federal agent with pure curiosity and astonishment at the fallen man on the elevator floor.

A small silence went by before Iruka finally decided to break it. "Agent Nara, why is there a man on the floor?"

"Because the guy you wouldn't let me see is gonna get shot if any of his friends get up here." he growled as he put his own gun away and flipped the fallen thug over to try and get him under his arms.

Iruka looked purely shocked at this, his tan face losing a few shades as he stammered his disbelief. "W-what? How is that--?!"

"No time!" Shikamaru snapped almost angrily, making the older man jump a little at his tone. "Just help me get him cuffed to a chair before he wakes up!"

"S-sure." Not saying another word, Iruka took hold of the man's feet as they both carted the thug's unconscious body to a nearby visitor's chair, both getting out their own set of hand cuffs to secure the man's arms to arm rests. With that done, Iruka looked to the federal agent with a look of seriousness the other was a bit shocked to see.

"We need to tell Kakashi about this." The brunette said calmly, so much to where Shikamaru wondered where the once timid man had gone.

Forcing himself not to think too deeply, the agent just nodded. "O-okay. Do you know where he is?"

Iruka could only shrug at the question. "Last I saw him, he was going to question Sasuke's attacker. Where he could be now is anyone's guess."

"Could he have gone back to Sasuke's room?" the agent inquired, one foot in the door to keep the elevator from departing without him in it.

The older man could only look thoughtful. "Maybe. I'll tell a nurse what's going on. You should get moving."

Knowing he wouldn't get much else out of the other man, Shikamaru nodded in agreement as he gripped the thug's gun anxiously. "Right."

Without another word, Shikamaru was back in the elevator as Iruka quickly vanished to find a nurse or a doctor, pressing the right button to take him further up and into the hospital, hoping he'd get there in time. The 'bing' of the elevator's bell sounded off again, the doors sliding open like before, only this time he met a surprised Kiba.

But what he didn't expect was to get a mixture of gangster and surfer all in one sentence. Giving him a surprised look almost matching Iruka's from before, Kiba spoke in a less polite and inside tone. "Hey man! I thought you left dude! What gives?"

Okay… more than one but you get it. Shikamaru was a little taken aback by this man's rough and peculiar language but didn't dare stand and stare, trying to decipher what'd just been said to him. Instead, he had to focus on the task at hand: find Kakashi and get Sasuke out of harm's way. But this proved difficult when his super powered brain kept on trying to figure out Kiba's unusual lingo.

"That's not the issue right now! I nearly got shot in the face by a thug on a rampage downstairs." He growled in annoyance as he ignored his mind's need to figure out what words meant what and why.

Kiba's shocked expression said enough. "W-what? No way! Aren't there security guards dealin' with it?"

"Apparently not since he was confident enough to try and put a piece of lead between my eyes." Shikamaru grumbled, looking the other brunette right in the eyes. "I think he and his friends are after Sasuke."

"Dude that's totally nuts!" the dog faced man exclaimed, still appearing in shock of the news before it became amazingly serious. "Where's Iruka?"

_What is with these guys and changing faces?_ He thought as he answered with a calm shrug, appearing completely unaffected by the new events. "I met him at least three floors down. Hopefully, he's calling for back up."

A little slack jawed, Kiba appeared to be truly shocked by this new information as he exclaimed a bit loudly for the agent's taste. "Man this is whack! What the fuck do we do?"

_Jeez this guy loves to cuss doesn't he?_ Shikamaru thought to himself as he kept his annoyance levels in check. "For one thing, we hold our ground up here since I kinda doubt they know where Sasuke really is. Another is that we wait for help while keeping our patient out of harm's way, maybe even deal with this mess ourselves. Capice?"

What the FBI agent didn't expect was for Kiba to roll his eyes and give him a toothy smirk. "Yeah, yeah I get ya Mr. Secret Agent. Thought I'd ask since I'm not used to the whole leadership deal."

"I can imagine. Let's go." He grumbled, pushing past the other brunette as he walked off down the hall, back towards the end of the corridor where Sasuke's room was known to be.

Glaring at the man's back but saying nothing, Kiba pulled out his own gun and followed the FBI agent through the sanitized halls back towards Sasuke's hospital room and an unsuspecting Naruto. Both could only hope that Iruka could make the call in time to save them all from starting a massacre. It wasn't long before both men were shouting orders to nurses and doctors to find hiding spots or get behind securely locked doors to avoid becoming hostages. Maybe even protect the many patients they didn't exactly have time to move out of the building.

Amidst it all, Naruto was now standing in front of his chair, staring down the hall in absolute confusion as Kiba and Shikamaru came to a halt right in front of him. His sky blue eyes showed his confusion more than anything.

Giving them the most confused look he could muster, Naruto had every right to ask what he said next. "I thought you guys were leavin' for the night. What's goin' on?"

"There're some thugs on their way up lookin' for your roommate dude!" Kiba practically exclaimed, not even hiding his anxiety, or his excitement.

Only Naruto wasn't as excited as his partner was. "What? Why?"

"Maybe because he used to be one of them." A familiar voice stated coolly, its silver haired owner calmly walking up to them with an even cooler expression.

Looking even more confused than before, Naruto turned to face his lazy boss in utter disbelief. "Kakashi? What're you talking about?"

_Should I? …. Yeah I should tell him._ He thought, wincing at the blonde's innocent expression before him. Unable to hide his pain from the blonde, Kakashi forced himself to say it anyway. "Apparently Sasuke used to be a member of the White Vipers."

Naruto appeared in complete shock, Kiba the first to speak out, sounding just as surprised as the blonde appeared. "Those freaks? Well shit! No wonder I didn't like the guy when I first saw him!"

"Kiba!" Naruto snapped, the brunette's words enough to snap him out of his shocked stupor before turning to his boss, perfectly serious. "Why come after him now?"

This time, Shikamaru spoke up. "I'm thinking it's because he hasn't had a place to call home in over two years."

Again, Naruto was caught off guard and sent into a small silence, Kiba being the only one to express his thoughts. "Whoa. Seriously? That's gotta be really tough."

The FBI agent nodded grimly before going on. "That and he's a potential witness to his family's murder."

"What?!?" all three cops exclaimed in surprise.

--_**With Sasuke**_—

He'd been sleeping pretty well until he became aware of the many voices echoing through the door to his hospital room. Like before, he knew Naruto and his friends were probably talking about him, only this time they weren't arguing. Curious about what was being said, Sasuke forced himself to rise from the bed and stumble to the door, pressing his ear against the thick wood as he used one of his pale hands to quietly slip it open wide enough for their voices to come through.

An unfamiliar voice was in midsentence when he did get it open enough. "—Witness to his family's murder."

"What?!?" he heard Kakashi, Naruto and Kiba exclaim in unison, sounding truly shocked at this piece of news.

Sounding a bit uncertain, Naruto spoke again. "Are you sure about that?"

The stranger grunted before going on. "I'm positive. According to the report, he was only seven or eight when it happened, and he was the second to last person to see both of his parents alive. He managed to attend school like any other kid but he got out Val Victorian. I bet the guy didn't have to go to college! I can also bet that if this guy's life wasn't so screwed up, he'd be workin' in a desk next to mine over in DC."

"Jesus. And that's just from his records?" Kiba asked, sounding very impressed considering he didn't seem all that smart to begin with.

"That's not all. It seems that his older brother and only sibling was the prime suspect for the murder, but no one could find him. And once he got out of school, Sasuke disappeared too." The stranger said coolly, as if unfazed by Kiba's words.

"So pretty much, these two are pullin' Houdini's?" the brunette said, seeming to be in thought for once.

The stranger grunted again in confirmation. "Right on the money. No one knows where the brother is, but it's been reported that Sasuke has been spotted in small stores and roadside gas stations all the way to Virginia and back. People have barely been able to point him out from a long line of photos but otherwise, we just catch him for a few seconds on camera before he completely vanishes the very next day. From what we know, Sasuke just stays in a town or a city for at least 48 hours before ending up forgotten the next week. The guy knows how to lay low."

This time Naruto interjected. "Are you going to arrest him?"

"Not sure yet." The stranger said calmly, sounding thoughtful. "But we still want to know about his parents' murders before he goes off disappearing again. He can probably tell us if his brother did it or not."

A tense silence followed, the sounds of nurses and doctors on the move as well as voices over the PA system ever broke it. Sasuke could only wonder why they were so quiet all of a sudden.

"So what about these Viper guys?" Kiba asked, deciding to change the subject for some reason. Sasuke thought he felt his blood freeze in his veins. He was sure that if anyone saw him at this moment, he'd put even the palest jellyfish to shame.

This time, the stranger's tone became truly grim. "Well, I met up with Iruka a few floors down after I dealt with one of them in the elevator so he should be waiting on us to tell him we made it back here in one piece. Also, I had him have a nurse call the station to send more back up. Let's just hope they haven't cut the phone lines yet."

"That doesn't answer my question." The dog man growled, annoyance lacing his voice, seeming to make the tense air lose density.

"Look, all we have to do now is make sure Sasuke doesn't run off again. My higher ups have been lookin' for this guy for almost three years now and they'll be pissed with me if he just vanishes again. I can only guess they want to clean up the whole Uchiha killing rumors." The stranger said, taking all three cops, Sasuke included, by surprise not only at what he said, but by his oddly tired tone.

"Rumors?" Naruto asked, immediately suspicious. "What rumors?"

The stranger, whoever he was, was quickly on the defensive. "I'm not sure how it started, but everyone seems to think that Sasuke's brother a nut job on the loose, and Sasuke's probably worse. But from what I've heard from you guys, I know that's not true. If we can get Sasuke to tell us what really happened to his parents that night, he can finally stop running."

He let the door close with an inaudible click of the small metal gears in its handle, the thick wood of the door cutting off the conversation beyond. Already his mind was spinning, making him dizzy even though his IV stand made it easy for him to stay upright. _Vipers? Here? No… no impossible! They couldn't have found me! No way in hell!_ He came close to slapping himself, calming his breathing well enough to stop the room from spinning on him. _Dammit Uchiha pull yourself together already! Okay… okay let's think about this. I gotta get outta here before those brain-dead goons figure out what floor I'm on! But how can I do that with cops all over the place?_

Looking down, he then realized he had another issue. Shit. They better have left my clothes in here like they did last time I was here. Instantly spotting the row of lockers that most hospital rooms had, Sasuke was quickly swinging the doors open in search of his belongings. After looking into four empty lockers, the raven-haired teen was relieved to find them neatly folded at the bottom of the fifth one. Silently thankful that Kakashi had grabbed his sneakers before the paramedics carted him out of Naruto's apartment, he watched the doorway from the corner of his eye as he practically ripped the ridiculously thin hospital gown off and began to put real clothes on.

After a few minutes of rummaging with cloth and dealing with small dizzy spells, Sasuke was finally dressed in civilian attire again. Tiptoeing to the door, for reasons even he didn't know, the raven-haired teen opened the door again, looking one way and then the other for Naruto and his cop friends. They were nowhere to be seen. Still feeling a little nervous about their lacking presence, Sasuke quietly shut the door behind him and walked away as calmly as he could. Barely anyone was around, and he knew the cameras were rolling away precious seconds, giving him only so much time to find a safe but secret means of escape.

Even though he knew it was incredibly risky, and probably the dumbest thing he could possibly do at a time such as this, Sasuke calmly walked over to where the laundry chute was on the nearest wall. Fully aware of the kind of things that went down that foot and a half sized square tube of thin but sharp edged metal, Sasuke also knew he had to make a decision. And fast. Looking around to make sure no one saw what he was doing, the raven-haired teen opened the chute door, and by bracing his feet against the sides, slowly but surely began his journey down towards the basement.

--_**With Naruto**_—

At first, the mere thought that his roommate Sasuke used to be in a gang, was a really big shock in his mind. Then again, the raven's silent nature should've explained a lot about him to begin with, since the other man didn't really say much about himself or his past at all. _Come to think of it… I haven't exactly been straightforward with the guy either… Sasuke what the hell were you thinking back then? Could I've changed your mind if I was there?_ Pushing such thoughts away, Naruto focused on getting doctors, nurses, and any mobile patients out through the emergency exits before they got shot by what Shikamaru described as 'crazy ass, monkey drooling, trigger-happy goons'. Though this description was amusing, the way he said it told Naruto he wasn't much to joke around much like Kiba was known to do.

Whoever these guys really were, they meant business. Drawing his own weapon from its holster under his jacket, Naruto jogged to stand next to Kiba at the elevator in case any of the thugs came out shooting.

Smirking despite the grim situation, Kiba gave the blonde a glance out of the corner of his eye. "You ready dude?"

"More than I'll ever be." Naruto said coolly, a smirk of his own making itself at home on his lips as they both stood rigidly, guns in hand and aimed at the metal doors of the elevator before them.

Kiba couldn't help but chuckle more to himself than anything at this point. "Don't piss yourself now!"

Snickering a little at this comment, Naruto turned his head to stare at his partner a little better as the smirk almost became an all out grin. "Why don't you stop talking about yourself and focus on the damn doors?"

"Ouch. Got me there." The brunette said, his chuckles dying down as they turned their attention back to the metal doors.

As if on cue, Naruto saw a light turn on over the archway, an indication that the metal box was closing in on their floor. Steeling his face against any hostile person who may or may not be on their way up, Naruto glued his eyes to the steel doors. "Here they come."

"I see it. Get ready." Kiba said quietly for once, nodding in acknowledgment to the blonde's words. Bracing their shoes against the marble floors and clearing their minds of other thoughts, the two men waited for the small sound that always went off before the doors opened. In this case, they were probably the doors of fate.

Cliffhanger! Hahaha! It's been fun but I thing twelve full pages should be enough for now don't you think? I do! Lucky for all of us, no notes are included in this chapter but if you all have questions, go ahead and ask me. In the meantime, enjoy what's bound to come next:

Next chapter:

Chapter 8: Inhospitable Standoff

Things are really getting out of hand for Naruto and friends. While the three of them are stranded at the hospital with a pissy FBI agent, can Sasuke pull himself together in time to turn things in their favor? Or will he continue to deal with inner turmoil and keep running away from the fights disputing his existence? How will all of this turn out in the end? I won't tell you! Just find out in the next new chapter for '_Drifting No More_':

_**Chapter 8: Inhospitable Standoff!!!**_


	8. Chapter 8: Inhospitable Stand Off

The story goes on in a whole new chapter with all new twists! Hopefully I'm maintaining a very high level of suspense with you all, or this wouldn't be very fun at all. But if you've followed the story this far, I can easily say you find my work very interesting there Reader. Anyway, I don't own Naruto in any shape or form. Though getting my hands on a Sasuke or Kakashi plushie seems very satisfying. Enjoy!!

"Iii" speech

_Iii_ thoughts

"_Iii_" radio speech

Chapter 8: Inhospitable Standoff

Standing tensely before the doors of the hospital elevator, Naruto and Kiba stood as stiffly as humanly possible, guns drawn and eyes focused on the large sheets of metal guarding basic mechanical workings that made such doors open and close. As the light positioned above the door's archway lit up with the light 'bing', the doors finally slid open to reveal: a panicked nurse with wide eyes, an unnaturally pale face and hands covered in drying but still glistening blood.

Both males let their arms drop, Kiba being the first to react to the poor woman's bloodied hands and shaking figure. "Holy shit! You okay there miss?"

The woman didn't really answer as she stood shivering in the cold, metal box that was the elevator, but merely stammered softly so much to where her words jumbled together into nothing but flustered gibberish.

Pale from fright, the woman finally stumbled towards them, her bloody hands shaking as her eyes swam with tears and a turmoil of emotions flashing in her light brown eyes as she reached towards both of the cops, her gibberish letting through a small wail of pure fright. Kiba had to literally put his gun away and rush over to catch her from falling to the floor in a sobbing mess.

Turning to Naruto, Kiba's grim face told the blonde enough as it was. "Keep an eye on that elevator. They could be on the next one for all we know."

"Right." The blonde said in a quiet tone, not wanting to alarm the poor nurse further as she continued to sob and cry piteously.

Without another word, the brunette swooped the crying woman into his arms bridal style and quickly jogged down the hall as fast as his legs, and the sobbing female in his grip, would allow. Now a little nervous but knowing well that he could be overreacting to the woman's sudden appearance, Naruto returned his attention to the oddly devious void of a box that was the elevator. In truth, due to the circumstances, Naruto couldn't help but hate the damn thing and its supposed innocence. He knew full well that Kakashi and Shikamaru were watching the stairs, leaving just him and Kiba to keep an eye on the elevators.

How he could possibly despise this ancient invention modernized, he didn't really know, much less want to know. Only that it was pretending to be nice and friendly when it could easily act as a delivery box from hell and bring half, maybe even all of the thugs wreaking havoc from downstairs and up to try and poke him full of lead and many, many holes. And he was sure that the last thing even Iruka wanted was to hear how he'd become Naruto cheese. Imported from Sweden. The mere thought of causing his guardian that much pain, caused him extreme internal agony, something he knew he could never forgive himself for. And he was sure Kakashi wouldn't be too please with himself either if he learned just how he met his demise in the line of duty.

Silently hoping that Kiba would come back soon, the blonde could only stand before the two archways, one open, the other closed, as he forced himself to watch the doors slide back into place as quietly and slyly as they'd opened. With a sigh, Naruto rubbed the bridge of his nose. _This is gonna be a long night. I just know it._

--_**With Kiba**_—

Finding the poor, sobbing nurse some medical assistance wasn't all that hard since it was a hospital. All he had to do was pick a door that happened to be locked, come close to kicking it down before yelling to those inside that he was a cop. Immediately, the door opened and a doctor pulled wide enough to let Kiba inside before shutting it again. Not giving any of them time to say anything, the brunette looked them all in the eye as he spoke up. "This woman needs help. I think she's in shock. Can you do anything?"

As he spotted an open bed near the left side of the room, Kiba heard one of the nurses speak up as he set the woman down. "Wait… I know her! That's Claire from one of the wards from downstairs! But what's she--?"

"No time for that!" Kiba snapped, making a few of them jump. Regretting this, he spoke again in a lighter tone than before. "My partner can't watch the elevators all by himself. I just need one of you to clean her up and calm her down before she drives herself insane from what I'm sure she witnessed downstairs."

This time, one of the doctors spoke up, trying to keep the slight stammer out of his panicked voice. "What's going on downstairs?"

Kiba felt no reason to lie, giving the man a grim expression. "If I'm right, a bloodbath."

A few of them paled, one of the nurses nearly fainted while a doctor looked like he was about to piss himself in fright. Knowing he was wasting precious time, Kiba quickly headed back towards the door, pausing only to say one thing. "Go ahead and lock this door again and don't come out unless you know for sure it's either me or another cop tellin' you it's safe. Capice?"

Those that were still listening nodded, one or two of them looking like they were going to be sick. Nodding at them in turn, Kiba was soon out the door, letting it shut behind him with a soft click.

Walking down the hall, practically devoid of life, a thought came to his mind amidst it all. _I wonder if Sasuke's doin' okay?_ This thought was purely valid since the circumstances demanded the distinct knowledge of the status of others he knew. Even though he barely knew Sasuke at all, the mere fact that, if known, he would feel reassured that the raven hadn't tried anything to go back on Naruto's trust in him.

Giving in to the urge, Kiba turned around and headed right for Sasuke's hospital room only to immediately notice that something was very wrong. The door, though technically closed, was open just a crack. Just enough to say that either someone slipped inside to do away with the person within, or said person managed to slip out unnoticed amidst the chaos. Fearing the worst, Kiba drew his gun again and quickly pushed the door open, even if it did nearly slam into the wall. All he found was an empty bed and a hospital gown lying on top of it.

_Shit!_ He thought more to himself than anything. _Double shit! And to think I actually trusted this guy with my friend! What's with him and disappearing like he does anyway? Don't tell me he's too far gone, please don't be too far gone!_ Running back out into the hall again, Kiba looked left and right for the raven-haired man. He found nothing until he noticed something that looked like a pair of pale skinned hands disappearing into the abyssal tubing of the laundry chute.

He knew those hands anywhere. _Shit! Sasuke!_ It wasn't long before he was running top speed towards the chute door, roughly flipping it open to lean inside and stick the barrel of his gun right into Sasuke's purely surprised face.

--_**With Sasuke**_—

He'd actually thought his descent to the basement would be an uneventful, purely unnoticed one. Thus proven wrong when he didn't even get two inches before the sound of the door being quickly pulled open and a shadow with a .9 mm in hand pointed the weapon right at his nose. It was soon accompanied by a very familiar voice, filled with annoyance and rising malice. "Where the fuck do you think you're goin'?"

At first, he didn't really know what to say to the pissed brunette above him, feeling a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face as he forced himself to answer the cop who had the better advantage. "Where do you think I'm going?"

Gritting his teeth in rage as he forced the words out as calmly as his boiling anger would allow. "I think you're ditchin' us to save your own ass from the fire. Since I'm sure by this whole thing that you heard our conversation?"

"Only some of it. But enough to know that if I don't leave, lots of innocent people are going to die because I happened to be here." Sasuke said a bit too coolly to be considered a normal response. Until Kiba looked him right in the eye. He wasn't the only uncertain guy roaming around with almost no purpose.

Steeling his face a bit, Kiba went on, his index finger twitching on the trigger a little as they both kept an eye on each other's faces. "They're gonna die anyway if you don't stick around and show then who's boss for once in your fuckin' life. Besides, I'm not just gonna let ya run off and totally break my best friend's trust like this. Especially not like this."

"You don't understand--!" Sasuke began to say.

But apparently Kiba wasn't in the mood to argue at this point. "No, YOU don't understand! Quit runnin' and let us help you dammit!"

Surprisingly, Sasuke couldn't keep the stutter from showing in his voice as he tried to grip the metal walls and look the dog faced cop in the eye at the same time without falling to his death. "I-I can't do that! You'll just get hurt in the end!"

With this statement, Kiba angrily shoved the cold steel gun further towards the raven's pale face as he half shouted at the man. "Naruto'll be hurtin' if you run off on him like this and I'll be fuckin' damned if I let that happen to my best friend! Now get the fuck outta there."

"If I get out, your plans of protecting me from them will be pointless." The raven said, looking almost desperate to change the brunette's mind. Kiba wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer any day.

"We can--."

"No you CAN'T!" Sasuke practically shouted, his voice obviously a little strained from inner turmoil and suppressed emotions. "Why do you think I never stay in a place more than a couple of days then leave? Huh? Do you know? I certainly do! To avoid attachments that'll later get those people killed just because they knew my name or saw my face! Can't you see I'm trying to keep that from happening again?"

Kiba could only stare at the raven-haired man, absolutely stunned at his outburst as his arm slowly lowered. They were both quiet before Kiba finally put a serious expression on his face again. "It's too late for that now."

"What?" Sasuke had to ask, apparently confused.

Practically smirking, Kiba went on, his expression looking a little sad for once out of all the time Sasuke had known him to be spontaneous. "We've already seen your face, we already know your name and I'm bettin' from what happened earlier today that Kakashi read your file. It should be obvious dude. You can't leave now. Not with so much being left in your wake of bein' a yellow bellied dumb ass who can't understand what the word 'friend' means."

"You have no idea what they'll do to me if they catch me." Sasuke warned, just making Kiba smirk a little wider as he put his gun away before extending his now free hand towards the raven.

"I'm willin' to see what happens. How about you?" he inquired calmly, actually looking intelligent despite his rough appearance.

At first, Sasuke did nothing except stare at the fang-faced cop. Then, he did the unexpected: "gimme a walkie-talkie."

Taken completely off guard, Kiba's arm dropped again, a look of confusion quickly taking over the man's complexion. "Huh?"

"I said, gimme a walkie-talkie." The raven said half impatiently, rolling his eyes at the other man's reaction to his demand. "A radio. Communication device."

Still a little confused, Kiba's mind refused to let the words click. "What? Why?"

"I have an idea." He said simply, shifting a little to keep his limbs from going numb on him. He'd been there too long. His arms were bound to fall asleep soon.

"Plan on sharing that idea with me here?" Kiba deadpanned, a bit suspicious of what the raven-haired man might have in mind if a laundry chute and a walkie-talkie was involved.

"Not really." Was Sasuke's cool reply.

Obviously Kiba wasn't in the mood for cryptic answers from the other man, eyes narrowing warily. "Then why--?"

"Just give me one if you can spare it." The raven-haired man growled in pure frustration at Kiba's obviously lacking intelligence.

"Fine, fine. Here." he said while rolling his eyes, pulling the small black device from where it was kept at his side. It wasn't long before he asked one thing: "What're you gonna do exactly?"

Sasuke shrugged mildly. "Plan A."

Kiba's reaction was instantaneous as he gave the raven-haired man a highly-strung expression, the pulsing vein on his forehead saying all. "No. Plan A was to keep your ghostly ninja ass in that stupid hospital room until this whole thing blew over like a cool wind over a mountain! That was Plan fuckin' A!"

Sasuke just blinked, then shrugged again. "Well this is Plan B then."

"And what exactly is Plan B!?" Kiba half roared, his voice echoing in the empty halls and the hollow laundry chute where Sasuke was still suspended via his now aching limbs as he shifted in place again.

"Sneak and surprise." He said plainly.

His mind quickly comprehending what was said, Kiba could only stare and then nod at this oddly simple idea. "Okay… if that's what you're gonna do, then why not use the elevators?"

This remark just received a scoff in return. "And be shot as soon as the doors open? I don't think so. I've been shot at enough this month thanks."

"I guess that's a good point." Kiba half mumbled as he leaned against the laundry chute door a little.

"That and I kinda didn't want either of you two idiots slowing me down by scolding me like you just did." Sasuke deadpanned, the ghost of a smirk showing up on his pale face.

Kiba instantly bristled at this. "Well soooorry! Someone's gotta tell your reckless ass what for!"

"Something tells me you're one to talk." He said coolly, the smirk growing a bit as Kiba just rolled his eyes at this.

"More like Naruto! You should see how that guy drives while we're in a chase dude! It's fuckin' crazy! Almost makes ya wanna piss yourself. Hell, he'll drive like that even if the road's covered in nothin' but ice!" he exclaimed, nearly throwing his hands into the air.

Upon hearing this piece of information, Sasuke actually paled a little more than he already was. "This tells me that riding with Naruto on the job is a bad idea."

Kiba nodded enthusiastically at this response. "Very bad. I'm actually surprised I've lasted this long."

"Good for you." Sasuke deadpanned again, shifting again, only going downwards a little to avoid slipping due to sweaty hands.

"So what now Mr. Intelligence?" the brunette inquired, silently hoping for an honest response from the man.

This time Sasuke actually scowled at him. "Either you shut the hell up and follow me down to the basement or you go back to where Naruto's waiting and watch his back like you're supposed to."

Ignoring the abruptness of this aggravated reply, Kiba couldn't help but give the raven-haired man a look of concern. "What about you?"

Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes in annoyance. "I already told you what I'm goin' to do! Sneak and surprise you baka!"

"How do I know you're not just gonna make a run for it?" Kiba asked, his own eyes narrowing in suspicion. He couldn't help but think that this guy was the kind that ran off into nowhere if the opportunity presented itself.

"I don't know. Got any extra guns in your car?" the raven asked in turn, glaring back and hating the fact that this guy thought so little of him.

Still a little suspicious, Kiba continued with this stare. "Maybe."

"Yes or no you idiot!" Sasuke growled again, sounding really frustrated now.

With that, Kiba gave in. "Fine, fine! Yeah I do."

"Then I'll need your keys too." He said suddenly.

"Like fuckin' hell!" Kiba practically yelled again before pulling the door open wider with a decisive sigh. "Oh fuck it. I'm comin' with ya."

Smirking again, Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. "You sure about that?"

"Just get movin' Ghost Boy." Kiba snapped, hoping his shoes wouldn't get scuffed while they scaled the thing down to the ground floor.

Not seeing any other option than to obey, Sasuke finally began the descent with one last thing. "Hn. Just don't fart on me."

"I would never!" the brunette said in a voice that Sasuke didn't particularly like all that much.

"Uh-huh riiiight." He deadpanned even as Kiba seemed to snicker from his position above him in the shaft, the metal door clicking shut, both instantly clouded by almost endless darkness.

"Just go already!" Kiba growled half-heartedly, trying to keep from snickering at the raven's odd request as they slowly made their way down.

--_**With Naruto**_—

_What's taking him so long? Did something happen?_ The blonde shook the thought away, as he turned away from the eerie hallway behind him back towards the metal doors of the elevator. _No, there's no way those monkeys could've gotten up here without into Kakashi or that Nara guy. It has to be something else. Was it Sasuke?_

By now, he couldn't tell if leaving his appointed spot was a good idea, even if it was to search for his partner now gone AWOL. Knowing that leaving the elevator doors would be disobeying orders, Naruto decided to try his radio instead.

Pressing the button down, the blonde cop brought the device closer to his mouth as he spoke as clearly as possible into the tiny microphone inside. "Inuzuka? Inuzuka this is Uzumaki do you read?"

A small crackle of static was all he got before a different voice than the one he expected sounded off. "_Uzumaki, this is Hatake. What's going on at your end?_"

"Not much sir except we encountered a nurse who'd managed to escape the mess downstairs and Kiba took her to one of the rooms but he hasn't come back yet. Has he checked in with one of you guys?" the question was perfectly valid to him by now. If Kiba had gone to check on the other two, why didn't he say so?

As if reading his mind, yet another familiar voice came over the line, the lazy drawl telling him who it was even before he got past three words. "_Uzumaki this is agent Nara, and I can easily say your friend didn't come to me._"

"_He's right. I haven't seen Kiba either._" Kakashi said coolly, but sounded a little concerned for their now missing coworker. "_Do you think he got distracted by something on coming back?_"

Naruto shook his head, then remembered that the other two men couldn't see him from where he was as he pressed the button down again. "I don't know and I don't want to leave my post to find out."

"_Go ahead and keep trying then. Maybe he can't get to it right now._" Kakashi said again, the calm of his voice doing almost nothing to hide his concern.

"Roger that." The blonde said before starting up again. "Inuzuka this is Uzumaki do you read? Inuzuka do you copy?"

A few seconds went by before the voice he was silently wishing for sounded off from the little device in his hand. "_Uh Naruto?_"

Nearly jumping from surprise, the blonde was quick to answer. "Kiba? Where the fuck are you man?!"

"_Well, um, that's a bit of a long story--._" Kiba began sheepishly, his voice seeming to echo for some reason.

"Then cut it short dude!" Naruto snapped, truly angry at this point.

Kiba openly sighed from the other end before giving in to the blonde's abrupt demand, not wanting to anger him further. "_Sasuke has a plan._"

"Say what?!" Naruto literally yelled into the device. "What the fuck--?! Oh hell no! Sasuke? Are you there? Answer me dammit!"

"_We're kinda busy Naruto! Can we talk about this later?_" Kiba asked, sounding apologetic in the hopes of getting his partner to calm down a bit, maybe even to stop yelling.

Apparently, this tactic didn't work as well as he hoped as Naruto literally felt his face heat up in roiling rage. "Fuck no! You tell me where you are and you both tell me right fuckin' now!"

"_Naruto--._" Kiba began, only to get cut off for the second time.

"RIGHT NOW!" he snapped again, harsher than ever and probably red as a turnip by now from anger.

The radio went silent for a while, small bits of static filling in the silence before his partner's voice finally answered from over the line. "_We're headin' down to the lower floors to try and catch these guys by surprise. Sasuke says that they'll probably just search the first floor before spreading out to the upper floors where you guys are. He thinks that if we mess up their search pattern, we can take them down one by one easier that way._"

Instantly suspicious, Naruto was quick to inquire. "And how does he know this exactly?"

There was another silence before Kiba's voice came on again. "_He says he'd rather not talk about it right now._"

"What do you say boss?" Naruto asked, obviously addressing Kakashi this time.

He too was quiet for a moment before answering. "_I say let them go. But Sasuke should stick with Kiba. We still have lots of questions for him._"

"_Roger that._" Kiba affirmed.

But before the line went dead, Sasuke's voice suddenly sounded off from the other end. "_Oh good God! Dammit Kiba! I thought I told you not to fart on me!_"

Kiba's laughter was easy to recognize as he spoke in-between chuckles and snickers of amusement. "_Sorry dude but I couldn't hold it in!_"

"_Ugh. You're disgusting! Feel glad you missed my face Dog Breath!_" Sasuke growled from somewhere in the background.

As the radio clicked off, all Naruto could hear were Sasuke's snaps of protest and Kiba's loud uncontrolled chuckles of amusement.

--_**With Iruka**_—

Getting the hospital staff to listen to him had been easy enough. But figuring out what to do next was proving to be a real challenge. Knowing that the thugs Shikamaru spoke of were bound to use the elevator as a means of transportation, Iruka could only wait and simply wonder about what he should do next. _I could leave to find Kakashi and the others but… how can I know they haven't tried to leave the building by now? Ugh think Iruka think!_

Just about to get his radio out in the hopes of contacting his counterparts, the middle aged man heard a noise that made hair on the back of his neck stand on end as he froze in place. Slowly turning around, Iruka's chocolate brown eyes widened at the sight of the white haired man barely standing at least fifteen feet away from him. A little sweaty and gasping for air, the man gave him a manic smile that sent chills up and down his spine like ice-cold water.

"Hello there. Mind being with me for a while? It's just you and me… absolutely nothing to worry about." he said a bit too kindly, one of his arms in a cast as the other… the other was soaked in drying blood.

Forcing himself not to look at the younger man's bloody hand, Iruka tried to keep the man focused on the conversation as he reacted for his .9 mm. "H-how did you get out of bed? Y-you were handcuffed!"

Much to his personal horror, the man's smile only widened. Almost as if he were delighted to give him an answer, an answer that Iruka knew he wouldn't like one bit. "Tsk, tsk. You cops should know better than to try and keep someone like me down for the count for too long. No, I'm going to be leaving quite soon actually. Hopefully return to my employer if he's not too angry with me for failing my assignment like I should have. Oh well! I think you'll have to do instead."

"You're insane!" Iruka exclaimed, hoping that it was just his voice that was shaking in fear of this extremely loony man.

This statement didn't affect the white haired man that much, but it did make his almost demonic smile a little smaller as his dark eyes flashed with something that Iruka definitely didn't like at all. But only a little more devious. "Oh really now? Hm. I seem to get that a lot lately."

As if suddenly made of the wind itself, the man was suddenly running towards him at a speed that definitely wasn't normal. Iruka felt like he was moving in slow motion as the other man came at him almost like a biker or a car. His mind could only wonder if he would be able to get his gun out in what little time there was to stop the man where he was.

--_**With Kakashi**_—

Having put his radio back where it belonged, the silver haired man couldn't help but wonder if trusting Sasuke at this point was a wise decision. Having only met the raven-haired man mere hours before, he could honestly tell himself that Kiba and Naruto were best to say if the strange individual that Sasuke happened to be was actually worth investing trust in. but from what he could tell, only Naruto knew more about the guy than anyone else did, even if Kiba had limited encounters.

_I hope you know what you're doing._ After a moment or two, another thought came to his mind. _Wait a sec… where's Iruka?_

Knowing full well that agent Nara had told him he'd met him on his way back up after dealing with a stupid thug where he last saw the police chief. According to the lazy FBI agent, he'd left Iruka to inform any hospital staff he could find of the situation and contact their headquarters with the hopes of getting back up there in time to deal with the gangsters roaming around on the ground floor. Which meant only one thing, making his blood freeze with the ultimate epiphany: he was trapped in the building right along with the rest of them.

Fingers grabbed for the radio again, the small device almost falling from his now sweaty hands, his heart racing in his chest as he tried not to think of the worst possible events that could occur in a situation such as this. Praying to any god that existed, Kakashi let his index finger press down on the 'call' button.

"Iruka? Iruka do you read me?"

A pause filled with staticy silence. Something this man didn't want to hear from the small black machine in his grip. The device made a small cricking noise as the police chief squeezed it a little harder than he intended. Forcing his breathing to calm down a bit, he brought the radio back to his covered mouth to repeat.

"Iruka? Iruka this is Kakashi. Can you hear me?" he said as loudly as his voice would allow, silently anxious for any kind of response from the other man.

Still nothing from the other end, only making his heart race even more than ever as his mind kept on creating all sorts of disgustingly bloody possibilities. Absolutely refusing to accept the worst of these, Kakashi shakingly tried again.

"Iruka, if you can hear me--."

Suddenly the voice he hoped for cut him off. "_Kakashi…_"

Relieved, Kakashi was instantly responding to his love's call. "Iruka! Thank god in heaven! Are you all right?"

"'_Kashi…_" the voice said again, oddly quiet and shaky. Almost as if broken. Like he was having trouble forming words.

Concerned by this odd change, Kakashi kept on going with his questions. "Is something wrong? What happened? Answer me!"

"'_Kashi… help…_" Iruka's voice pleaded in a weak fashion that disturbed him down to the bone. His blood was frozen in his veins for the second time that night.

"Iruka? Where are you? Iruka?" he demanded, silently hoping that nothing truly bad had happened to the other man.

Instead of Iruka's voice, Shikamaru's voice sounded off from over the line instead. "_What's goin' on Kakashi?_"

"I don't know but I'm goin' to check it out. Stay put." Kakashi said as calmly as he possibly could, hoping it was enough to keep the FBI agent from roaming around where he wasn't needed. "Iruka if you can hear me, I'm coming to get you okay? I'm coming so stay where you are. Understand?"

"_H-help… help!_" the voice said again, as shaky as before only twice as weak or strained, like he was losing strength.

This alone was enough to send adrenaline through his body, allowing him to finally move from where he stood, his shoes tapping on the concrete stairs. "Stay where you are Iruka, stay where you are."

_Please be okay. Please, please be okay. _ He thought desperately to himself as he swung around corners and flew down steps at a fairly safe but constant speed that kept him from breaking a leg. Thoughts spinning and signs barely readable in his rush to reach the one hoped to help out of past pain.

--_**With Sasuke & Kiba**_—

Traveling down a laundry chute was proving harder than either of them had anticipated as Kiba felt his arms start to ache after they'd traveled at least three stories down from where they'd been before. Not to mention that the raven-haired man a little ways under him had fallen a bit too silent for even his taste. Looking down, he saw the man was still there. But instead of going further, he'd stopped and was slowly pushing one of the many doors open, dark eyes peeking out into one of the halls.

Knowing better than to yell for once, Kiba managed to whisper from above the raven while trying not to slip from his spot. "What's up dude?"

"Shush." Sasuke hissed, gripping the edge of the door with one hand, the other keeping it open as his legs braced against the walls next to him.

"What? I'm just askin'! God. What's so wrong with that?" Kiba hissed back, indignant of being scolded over such a simple thing.

But this only made the raven a little more irritated, sending a nasty glare up to the normally noisy brunette. "Will you can it? He'll notice us."

Truly confused now, Kiba continued to whisper. "He? Who's 'he'?"

"Just be quiet will ya?" Sasuke finally growled, forcing himself to whisper as the glare intensified.

Finally taking the hint, grudgingly at best, Kiba kept himself from glaring back as he tried not to bite his tongue to keep the words from coming out of his mouth anyway.

Then the raven-haired man made the most peculiar request of the evening he could possibly ever make.

"Give me your gun." He said quite suddenly, taking Kiba purely by surprise.

Looking down with the most confused look he could muster, the brunette forced his voice at a low volume. "What? What for?"

Never taking his eyes away from the thin line of light in the wall, Sasuke didn't falter when he answered. "I can wound that guy and get his gun. Maybe that way, we can get out of this damn chute and walk like normal people."

Apparently this request didn't sit well with the dog-faced cop as confusion soon changed to outright incredulity. "Hold on dude! I can't just give my firearm over to a civilian! Do you want to get me fired before today's over? Wouldn't surprise me if Naruto'll skin us alive later but dude! I kinda really like my job okay?"

Sasuke gave him the most sincere expression Kiba had ever seen in all the time he'd known the guy. "You'll get it back. I just need one of my own. You gonna fork it over or not?"

"Fine. Just see if you can't get him with one shot. Only he knows if he's alone out there." The brunette cop said grudgingly as he gently handed the raven-haired man the weapon to avoid setting off rogue rounds into the walls and alerting any thugs who might be around to hear it. "You're not gonna kill him are ya?"

"Don't worry. I'm not a dumb ass like you." Sasuke said with a ghostly smirk on his pale lips, still using only one hand to slowly push the chute door open widen enough for the gun' barrel to go through but not too wide to where such a thing could be seen from afar.

Kiba instantly bristled at the other man's words, his own words coming as angry hisses of sound and vowels. "I take offense to that!!"

"Shush!" Sasuke snapped quietly again, taking aim. Within seconds of doing so, he pulled the trigger and it went off like a clap of thunder around them. The flash of the round filled the open space and most of the shaft, temporarily blinding them both, their ears ringing from the noise. Outside in the hall, they could hear the man cursing in pain and anger as sounds of cloth and the regular squeak of shoe leather filled the air. It'd been a direct hit, and the thug was paying the price.

--_**With Iruka**_—

All he could see was red. Nothing but bloody, stinking and dark red. A shade of red turning black from oxygen exposure as some of it moved across the tile floors like a lazy flood that'd long lost its strength. For on the floor lay the white haired man, dark eyes staring up at him with an expression filled with surprise and hints of fading insanity from before he'd been shot.

Because of this, Iruka Umino could only stare at the fallen man as his vision was filled with the color of life's river slowly leaking from the man and onto the floor. The man had stopped writhing in pain and was now twitching a little from small spasms that only death could cause. Never in the line of duty had Iruka really ever had cause to bring his firearm to separate him and an offender, much less actually use it. He'd gone to the station's shooting range to ensure accuracy regardless of this fact, but any shots he'd fired in the past were to wound the felon, not kill.

Memories of Mizuki and his practically demonic ways came rushing back. Just the thought of pointing his own gun at his maniac of an ex-boyfriend couldn't keep Iruka from focusing on the dark red pool on the floor. Hell, the guy was lying in the same position Mizuki had been in after Kakashi had shot him. Or did he shoot him? _Do I even know anymore?_ He thought as the body on the floor started to twitch some more before going still again, thoughts drifting off to even more dark memories.

But it wasn't until Kakashi's voice sounded off from somewhere. Somewhere unknown but familiar to him. It took a few seconds for his mind to register the fact that it was his radio he'd meant to use only a couple of minutes before the white haired man showed up with that creepy smile on his face. Hands shaking like leaves in the wind and probably covered in a cold sweat by now, Iruka let icy fingers fumble around for his radio, vaguely wondering what he could say to his boyfriend.

Only one word came to mind, after all that'd just occurred. _Help._ This word circled in his mind like a mantra that wasn't keeping his mind from emptying of anything else except a name and a single word. _Kakashi… help…._

--_**With Kakashi**_—

He didn't really care what the signs next to the doors said anymore. All he cared was to find the brunette and hope that he hadn't taken a mental turn for the worst. Just thinking of Mizuki's abuse sent a sickened chill down his spine. Even Naruto had been in the dark about what that sick-minded man was doing until it was almost too late to save him from his cruel hands and twisted ideas of amusement.

After a few more precarious turns and several more seemingly endless sets of stairs, Kakashi's single eye recognized the floor number placed near the upcoming door to his right. He had to skid to a halt, coming close to slamming into the wall after abruptly changing speeds but hopefully not losing momentum. Gasping from what had felt like hours of running down stairs and skidding past countless corners along the way, the silver haired man pulled his own .9 mm from its holster with his right hand, nervously gripping the metal door handle with his left. Silently praying that all his fears hadn't finally come true in some horribly unimaginable way, Kakashi forced himself to push the door open and step out into the empty corridor, his single eye darting all over, as he aimed his firearm ahead of him.

For a while, he found nothing but empty hallways. Silence and the slight buzz from the electric lights overhead filled the place with an eeriness that only could be seen in movies, or by late-night nurses working the night shift who had no real duties except check in on patients now and again. Chills running up and down his spine, Kakashi quickly made his way down the long hallway, soon turning a corner to find the most disturbingly bloody scene he'd probably see for the rest of his career.

Cliffhanger! Aren't I horrible? And just in time for the holiday season. That's right people, Christmas is almost here and I'm gettin' ready to whip out my first one-shot for all you readers to enjoy. So stick around to see what I've got in store this December 25th if you want to see one of my most heart moving works. Hope you all come and see what I've got in mind. In the meantime, no notes this time around! But if you've got questions, go ahead and send me a message. For now, see what's next:

Next chapter:

Chapter 9: Snake Fangs & Old Nightmares

Thugs working for the White Vipers are on the move, working their way through the hospital as if running through a maze. To top things off, Iruka is being reminded of past things that haunt him to no end. Can Kakashi bring him out of his horror-racked mind in time to show that what he fears isn't around anymore? And is Sasuke really hoping to make a run for it before things get too out of hand, leaving Naruto and Kiba in the dust forever? Or will a long lost face come forth and stop him in his tracks? Find out in the next all new chapter of '_Drifting No More_':

_**Chapter 9: Snake Fangs & Old Nightmares!!!**_


	9. Chapter 9: Snake Fangs & Old Nightmares

Greetings people

Greetings people! I've come once again in another chapter of '_Drifting No More_'! So far, things have been getting pretty interesting as I lead you all on a rocky road of suspenseful fun, devious deeds, and maybe even… bitter betrayals. How many of these things will end up coming true in the end? Read on and find out for yourselves. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto in any shape or form. Kishimoto-dono does. Enjoy!

"Iii" speech

_Iii_ thoughts

"_Iii_" radio speech

Chapter 9: Snake Fangs & Old Nightmares

Slipping in proved to be unusually easy, unlike the last time he'd been there, and that'd been only a few weeks ago. Now, it seemed as if everyone had gone home for the night and wouldn't be back for at least a couple of hours. But upon coming to the lobby and the front offices, he saw that this wasn't quite what he thought it was. Wounded people were everywhere, moaning and whimpering as a bunch of dark clothed men wandered around the room with guns in their hands. Each looked sinister or insane, but none of them appeared all that smart.

Knowing better than to just jump out of his hiding place with his own guns out and blazing like a sheriff from the old westerns would do, the newcomer quickly bent down onto the cold tile floor to lay on his stomach, slowly but surely crawling his way towards the stair doors. Even though his face was perfectly apathetic, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty when one of the thugs decided to start brandishing his weapon at a sobbing woman on the floor, trying to keep a wounded man from bleeding to death after he'd been shot in the shoulder. From what he could tell, they were engaged.

As if against his better judgment, the man used the stair door as a shield as he boldly used his own gun to deliberately shoot the thug in the arm and leg before turning to run up the stairs, silently cursing to himself for even stopping to do so in the first place rather than just go on his way. No, for Uchiha Itachi, the night had only just begun.

--_**With Sasuke & Kiba**_—

After shooting him in the leg, the thug still cursed and growled at them in his fury and pain over being taken off guard and being shot. Mainly about being shot. Beyond this constant angry bickering, the thug only glared and spit at them as Kiba kept watch while Sasuke collected all they both needed from the fallen man in order to take on a full force of highly paid monsters in human clothing. An extra gun and ammo for them both to share in case they either ran out or one of the weapons somehow became lost.

"Will that last us?" the brunette inquired from where he stood a few inches away from Sasuke was crouched over the fallen form of the cursing thug.

The raven-haired man just shrugged indifferently. "If I know the Vipers, maybe, maybe not."

Kiba froze, his expression going from shock to anger in less than two seconds as he quickly started talking again. "Maybe? No, no, no! Don't give me fuckin' 'maybes'! I need certainties here! I didn't sign up for this job to deal with 'maybes' of any kind! You gotta give me a straight answer here!"

"That was a straight answer." Sasuke growled, trying to keep from getting irritated at what was being said to him by the cop with the dialect of a surfer or a street gangster that didn't know when to shut up.

"It wasn't straight enough!" Kiba snapped as the urge to shoot the raven began to get a bit too strong.

"It'll have to do okay?" Sasuke said in annoyance before turning his midnight black eyes towards the man on the floor. "Look you, I don't care who you are or how much they're paying you, but you're going to tell us just how many of you there are roaming around or I'll start shooting you until you can't move. You got me?"

"Go to hell you traitorous punk!" the man snarled from where he lay on the floor, his face a twisted concoction of skin, muscle and hair. His eyes were burning with an anger that Kiba felt a little uncomfortable with.

_BLAM._ As the man screamed bloody murder, Sasuke calmly pulled the hammer back on the .9 mm gun in his hand after calmly putting another hole in the man's already wounded leg. Point blank no less. Without missing a beat and pointing the barrel right at the knee of the opposite leg, Sasuke kept his voice disturbingly neutral, Kiba looking on with a look of surprise as he wisely kept silent. "You listen here you alleyway piece of filth, I don't really give a shit about your opinion on me. All I want is how many of you there are. You got me? Or do you want to lose a knee instead?"

"O-okay! Okay! I'll talk! J-just—just don't shoot me again!" the man said through choked sobs and grunts of pain.

Nodding slightly at this answer, Sasuke kept his voice calm as he brought the gun up and away from the man's leg as he spoke. "I can roll with that. Now I'll ask again: how many are there?"

Fearing for his life and shaking like a wet cat, the rather large man could only stutter as he responded to the raven's question. "A-at least fifteen! Maybe less… but probably no more than fifteen."

"Why so many? Why not just two?" Kiba growled from behind Sasuke, looking just a little confused at such a thing as sending such a large group of men to get rid of one person. Almost like their boss had a habit of overdoing things.

Still shaking from pain and a little bit of fear, the man went on. "H-he wanted to be sure that the job would get done before tomorrow. That's all I know I swear!"

"Tomorrow? What's so special about tomorrow?" Sasuke inquired, instantly curious in as to why the Vipers wanted him dead before the following morning.

The man just quickly shook his head, eyes filled with tears and agony trying to help him gain leverage, maybe even some mercy on the side. "I-I don't know! I'm just a field guy! No one tells me anything!"

A bit skeptical of this, Sasuke's blank face shifted a little with suspicion and curiosity over why his death had a time limit. "You're sure?"

"Y-yeah! I-I'm sure!" the man stammered fearfully, hoping his words were enough to spare him getting shot again.

"If you're lying--!" Kiba warned from above, his own gun in hand as he started to point it down at the fallen figure of the shivering thug.

This was enough to nearly make him scream from terror. "I'm not! I swear!"

"Okay then. Good night." Without missing a beat or blinking an eye, Sasuke had a syringe in his hand and had brought it down on the man's arm. Within seconds of the clear liquid exiting the small tube, the man on the floor was out cold.

Kiba was more than just surprised at this outcome, his eyes wide with amazement over such an act. "What the--?! What the fuck! Dude! Where'd you get that thing?"

"The hospital room." The raven said coolly, tossing the syringe into the nearest garbage bin within range as he got up and started walking down the hall.

"And what, exactly, was in it?" Kiba demanded, following not far behind.

Sasuke just shrugged casually at this question, as though it didn't really bother him that much as it had Kiba. "Just some anesthetic. He should be fine unless he bleeds to death. C'mon, we should get moving before one of his friends show up."

"But we should report this first. I'm sure that FBI dude would like to know what the fuck's goin' on down here." to the brunette, this was a solid truth. Moving around with their counterparts in the dark was a bad idea. It was possible one of them would get shot, and none of the others would be the wiser as their positions became compromised.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes in annoyance, but nodded. "Fine, whatever. Just make it quick okay? We probably don't have a lot of time."

Kiba didn't waste any time as he brought the small black device to his lips, using one of his fingers to press one of the buttons down before saying. "Nara, this is Inuzuka do you read?"

There was a slight crackle of static, but his response was a bit immediate as the man's lazy voice came over the line. "_I read ya loud and clear. What's goin' on?_"

Without missing a beat, Kiba pressed the button down again to respond. "We just got some info from one of our crazy friends. It seems there's at least fifteen of them at best. We'll probably have to track down another one to confirm."

A little silence followed, as if the other man was in thought. But his response came not too soon after this pause in conversation. "_Uh huh. I get ya. By any chance have you guys seen Kakashi? He went to find Iruka and he hasn't come back yet._"

Kiba couldn't help but feel confused by this new piece of information, meeting the raven's black eyes, which flashed with what looked like concern. "That's odd. We'll check it out on our way down. Are the stairs okay?"

"_They should be. Things have been pretty quiet so far so I don't see why not. Just be careful though. You never know when one of those bastards might come poppin' outta nowhere._" Shikamaru warned, his own concern bleeding through his lazy drawl.

"Roger that. Over and out." Putting the radio away, Kiba nodded in Sasuke's direction, quickly taking the lead towards the stairs. "Let's go."

--_**With Kakashi**_—

Ever since he was a kid, he'd been somewhat afraid of his dad. Mainly since the man had a habit of being overbearing and practically ominous up until the day he died after a failed drug bust. The silver haired boy had already lost his mother after a few years and was admitted to foster care, where he faced scary, older boys and freakishly scary older _and_ younger girls. Which was probably why, later in life and after serving a number of harsh years as a cop did he find himself attracted to Umino Iruka's unusual but heart-warming kindness and tolerance with the cruel and unusual.

It was Iruka's kind smiles and caring gaze that practically made him feel as if his muscled legs were jelly and his steeled heart was worth putting on his sleeve. Never, in all his life, did he ever open up to others. And even if he did, it was with the strictest of confidence. But with Iruka, it seemed as if he'd been able to do it ever since day 1 of his existence and could perform his 'True Me' act once again. Sometimes the other man looked so cute, he had to wonder if there really were butterflies in his stomach, fluttering around and making him more and more nervous with each passing second.

Though he clearly remembered Naruto's warning, Kakashi vaguely wondered if there'd be any heart left for him to break after catching sight of the scene before him now as he let his now stiff arms go limp. His heart, once beating very fast, now seemed to stop working as his veins filled with ice water. Somehow putting his gun away, the silver haired police chief ran forward and whipped Iruka around, trying to find any sign of life in the brunette that stood almost lifelessly before the corpse of the white haired man lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood. Not even bothering to think of how or why the other man was there, dead or not, Kakashi's main concern was Iruka.

"Iruka? Iruka? 'Ruka-chan? Are you okay? Speak to me!" he demanded as loudly as his gasping lungs and shaky voice would allow.

Much to his horror, the tan skinned, brown haired, chocolate brown eyed man just stood and stared blankly at nothing, not even seeing Kakashi at all. Fearing the worst had come true, Kakashi tried to remain calm as he gently shook the man he held by the shoulders in the hopes that his words would come through to him.

"Iruka? Iruka please! Oh c'mon Iruka! Snap out of it. Wake up and say something! Anything!!" he could already feel his single eye tearing up, his vision going blurry as he continued to shake the man in front of him. "C'mon Iruka! Please say something! SAY SOMETHING!!"

When he still got no response from him, Kakashi knew that drastic measures needed to be taken. Knowing he'd hate himself for it later, the silver haired man drew a hand back and took a well-aimed swing. SLAP! The sound of flesh hitting flesh rang in his ears and through the empty halls of the hospital. Kakashi winced as Iruka finally moved, eyes wide and full of shock as a hand slowly came up to touch the cheek that'd been slapped so harshly.

The brunette could only stare in wide eyed surprise as his boyfriend and coworker began to shake, his single eye invisible until he lifted his head a little to reveal that it was a grey colored eye filled with pain and fear. Before he could say anything, Iruka suddenly found himself in a hug, warm arms surrounding him as the older man continued to shake like a leaf, his voice and words muffled against cloth, skin and thankful sobs.

"K-Kakashi?" Iruka said, uncertainty making up his tone as the other man pulled back to hold him by the shoulders.

"D-don't do that ever… ever again!" he said almost weakly, a slight stutter nearly making it break in-between words.

Iruka blinked at the teary eyed man in front of him before giving him a warm, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. It was just—"

"You don't have to say it. He's not here anymore." Was the sudden reply, cutting him off as he paused to smile in return. "But I am."

"Thanks Kakashi." Even though he couldn't exactly see the smile through the scarf he wore all the time, Iruka knew that Kakashi had indeed smiled at him from how the single eye crinkled a little to compensate for the muscle action involved. He knew full well what to look for after two weeks of dating.

To break the sudden silence, Kakashi was talking a little nervously, the single eye looking away in shame of his actions, letting his arms drop to his sides. "Sorry I had to do that. Y-you wouldn't say anything."

Iruka just smiled wider. "I forgive you. But… where's Naruto? I thought you upstairs with him, that FBI agent and Kiba."

"We were but Kiba caught Sasuke supposedly trying to make a run for it. He's with him now."

"W-what?!" the smile was gone, replaced by shock and confusion. "I thought Sasuke was sleeping!"

Kakashi just shrugged at the question. "Apparently he's oddly resilient when it comes to situations like these. But Kiba said that he had a plan of some sort. Kiba insisted on helping so now they're on their way downstairs to do whatever devil's work that has to be done."

"And how are they getting downstairs if the elevator and stairs are probably crawling with these mindless thugs?" Kakashi immediately sensed danger from Iruka's suddenly serious tone. If he was lucky, he'd only walk away with ringing ears.

Rubbing his chin innocently, the police chief decided to just come out with it before he got himself into trouble. "I believe they're using either the ventilation system or the laundry chute."

"Without ROPES?!" Iruka exclaimed in horror, taking his turn in shaking Kakashi half to death. "Is that guy insane?!"

Trying to keep his brain from spinning in his skull, Kakashi tried to remain perfectly calm in the face of his koi's fierce anger. "I don't think so but you can make an inquiry when all of this is over."

"Inquiry my ass! I'm gonna skin that boy alive!!" Iruka roared, letting Kakashi go as he started pacing a bit, nearly making the silver haired police chief to lose his balance.

"Uh… 'Ruka-chan…." He said tentatively, hoping he could calm the man down a bit without getting killed.

"What?!" the brunette snapped, making Kakashi flinch at the harshness of the question sent his way.

"Isn't that a little graphic?" he asked, a nervous chuckle escaping his throat.

Iruka's face gained another shade of angry red. "Like hell!"

"I didn't say Naruto went with him--."

"I don't care! Regardless of who's with him, it's still reckless! Even if you went with him I'd be pissed!" Iruka yelled into the quiet as Kakashi's expression shifted from nervous to amused.

"I can see that."

Turning to face the police chief, Iruka glared at Kakashi, his voice perfectly serious and grim. "Does Kiba know exactly what he's doing?"

Kakashi merely shrugged at this question. "Not sure, but I hope so."

"Are you being honest, or are you just saying that just to escape a scolding?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow at the other man's response.

"How about both?"

"Kakashi!" the brunette exclaimed, showing his annoyance and growing anger.

The police chief waved his hands defensively, hoping to calm his koi down before he got even angrier. "I'm serious!"

"You better be." Iruka said, his tone coming down to a worried murmur. "You'd better be serious."

--_**With Kiba & Sasuke**_—

After shooting and knocking out the gang thug a few minutes before, both males were once again on the move. With Sasuke leading the way, Kiba trailed behind, looking all around to ensure they weren't being followed. He'd leave the sneaking around to the raven-haired man in front of him.

"So how'd you get mixed up with these guys anyway?" Kiba asked suddenly, hoping to gain some information about the man from his own mouth. That way, there'd be no more misunderstandings, or at least avoid them entirely.

Glancing back, Sasuke just scowled at him, apparently displeased by the sudden question about his life. "I don't think now's the best time to be discussing this."

"But I do."

The raven's scowl deepened to a nasty glare, his voice harsh and his face showing hints of annoyance and hidden rage ready to boil over. "Well I don't. So deal with it."

Kiba allowed a tense pause before daring to speak again. "Touchy subject?"

"Not even close." Sasuke growled, keeping his voice low as he peeked one of his midnight black, slanted eyes around a corner before letting the rest of his head follow.

The fanged cop nodded sagely almost to himself, deciding to take a different approach to the conversation. "If that's how it's gonna be, then at least tell me why you left 'em."

Sasuke paused, looking back at the brunette, his scowl having given way to surprise before shifting to contemplation. "I… I tried to keep from getting in too deep. From becoming soulless, uncaring monsters that prowled the streets for money or power, like them. So I tried to leave. Only… their leader didn't really buy into my 'I've had enough of this crap' speech and tried to have me shot then and there."

"And you lived?" Kiba exclaimed, naturally surprised at this new piece of information about the raven-haired man in front of him.

The raven only shrugged nonchalantly, perfectly casual by now. "Only because I'd predicted that he'd probably react that way and managed to fight back long enough to make a clean get away. Not to mention the fact that I'd call the police a few minutes before going inside to tell them I was quitting."

"You're a whistle-blower?! Seriously?" Kiba exclaimed again, sent into pure shock and amazement at the other man's feats.

Sasuke shrugged again, the ghost of a smirk on his face. "Seriously. The guy they had investigating the whole thing didn't even have to turn me to get information. But I could only get so much without looking suspicious."

"Whoa. So you really worked both sides?" the brunette inquired, truly incredulous that the raven was capable of such things.

"Only one of 'em for suckers." Sasuke just shrugged again as if he didn't even care all that much. "And now they want to kill me for it."

"That explains a lot."

Confused by this answer, Sasuke paused to turn and raise an eyebrow at the other man behind him in question. "Oh? How so?"

"Why you're so uptight—Ow!" the last remark coming from when Sasuke punched Kiba with his free hand in the shoulder, hard enough to cause considerable bruising and muscle ache.

"Don't push your luck Dog Face." The raven growled angrily, his voice dangerously close to an infuriated hiss.

Kiba just rubbed his shoulder, glaring at the man in front of him with seething rage and annoyance. "Damn that hurt! What the fuck!"

"Just keep it down! I thought I heard something."

Surely enough, they heard the sounds of rushing footsteps and loud angry shouting that became more discernable as it got closer, seeming to tell of a coming doom. Neither man thought twice when Kiba found an unlocked door to a closet and quickly whispered. "Quick! In here!"

Within seconds of shutting the door behind them, a single pair of running footsteps passed them by, a silent figure who only made noise when he breathed or took a step. Just behind him came the angry shouts and curses of what sounded to be very pissed off gang members. "After him!"

"He fuckin' shot Nat!" one shouted in turn, obviously enraged by the 'senseless' attack on one of their own by a stranger.

Several shots were fired, making the two men wince from their hiding place, the sound of running footsteps passing them by as they huddled on either side of the closed door, silently hoping that the men had left and wouldn't come back.

After a moment of silence went by, Kiba couldn't help but think aloud. "Is it just me… or did some guy somehow manage to get past those bozos?"

"If he isn't a cop, he's screwed if he doesn't find a place to be and fast." Sasuke grumbled as he eased the door open, poking his head out to see if it was clear. When he walked out into the bright, artificial light, Kiba knew the hallway was empty except for them.

"And if he is?" he had to inquire. Not knowing stuff about certain things was bad in his line of business.

Sasuke didn't hesitate. "Then he's screwed."

"How does that differ from the first one?" Kiba deadpanned, not really believing the raven-haired man who began walking towards the stairs like they'd been doing before avoiding some stampeding thugs.

The man in question merely shrugged. "He'll waste ammo trying to defend himself, run out and then probably get killed from ignorance and stupidity."

Kiba looked instantly worried, his eyes darting in the opposite direction of where they were going. "Shouldn't we help him?"

"We have our own problems Kiba!" Sasuke growled only to wince when he felt pain shoot up and down his still injured leg as if some little kid had kicked him right in the shin.

He hadn't realized he'd lost his balance until Kiba was suddenly right next to him, a look of concern and hidden anger twisting his already animalistic face as he practically snapped into the other man's ear. "I thought so! You need to stay put for a minute dude. That leg of yours ain't gonna help you if you don't rest."

Sasuke just tried to wriggle out of the brunette's hold, scowling with a mean stubbornness that Kiba was already familiar with. "Fuck that! We need to get downstairs if we want to get rid of these guys!"

"No way. That can wait." The brunette growled in turn, daring the man to protest further as he eased him onto the tile floor of the hallway. "Naruto'll kill me if something bad happens to you."

This statement was enough to bring about another silence, Sasuke slumping against the nearest wall to use a free hand to rub the bridge of his nose. He could only stare at the floor as he spoke. "Why does he care so much? I'm just some guy who happened to be in a convenience store when a bunch of street punks tried to rob it. How the hell does that suddenly make me so damn special?"

"Well, for one thing, I think he likes you."

Sasuke looked up, wide-eyed and surprised at this statement. "W-what?"

The brunette didn't seem to be joking by the look on his face. "I'm serious! He's never met anyone like you! It's only natural that he finds you so fascinating. There was another guy who was kinda like you but he creeped everybody out all the time. At least you know what emotions are."

"What was so creepy about the other guy?" he had to ask, looking a little confused by this sudden reference to another man he'd never met before.

Kiba just shrugged, looking a little relieved. "He'd fake everything. It's no wonder Kakashi transferred his creepy, perverted ass."

"Perverted?"

The brunette nodded grimly. "I'd really like not to get into that. That guy just had no shame. He'd probably walk around the precinct naked if he actually felt the urge."

Sasuke winced, feeling a bit grossed out by the thought of a strange man walking around in his birthday suit for no apparent reason. "That's… unnecessary."

"Now you know how I feel." Kiba grumbled as he turned to stare down the halls in search of any thugs who might've heard them talking or were just heading back for whatever reason.

"What?" Sasuke exclaimed, eyes filled with astonishment and then utter disgust at the visual that would make anyone cringe. "Holy crap! He actually--!"

Kiba didn't even look at him as he turned towards the stairs leading down to the next floor. "Let's just get moving. This conversation isn't going as I'd hoped."

The raven-haired man paused in getting to his feet, giving the dog-faced cop a suspicious glare. "And what did you 'hope' to talk about?"

"Whether or not you're just trying to run away again or you're actually trying to face your past." It was then that Kiba looked back at him, pinning him to the spot with a rather nasty glare, a bit too serious for once. "So? Which one is it?"

Sasuke merely stared at the other man before bracing against the sanitized, white hospital wall to unsteadily get to his feet to walk past his comrade in blue. "Let's get moving."

The glare intensified as Kiba grabbed Sasuke by the arm, forcing him to turn around so as to snarl into the raven's face. "You didn't answer my question Uchiha!"

Pulling his arm out of the rough grip and avoiding eye contact, Sasuke stared off to the side as he spoke in a quiet tone. "…. If you guys want me to leave when this is over, I'll understand. Besides, before the shooting at the store, I was planning on moving on anyhow."

"Wait, you can't mean--!" Kiba began to exclaim before ink black eyes, swirling with a deep sadness stopped him in his tracks.

"I'm not proud of what I've done. But it was the only way to find out who the real culprits were."

Kiba scowled at him, looking at the other man is if he were the biggest idiot on the planet. "You should've--!"

"Should've what? Waited for the police to chase their tails for a few years and then give up? Just sit around and wait for the case to go cold? If it was your parents, wouldn't you want to do something about it?" the raven snapped, glaring and enraged like he'd never seen before to where the brown haired cop nearly stepped back in surprise.

"Yeah but--!"

"Then don't patronize me!" Sasuke growled, ignoring the pain in his leg as he headed for the stairs again. "We only have so much time before those thugs come back to see if their new target doubled back on them."

Feeling a little out of place now but not wanting to lose track of the man he was sure his best friend had a crush on, Kiba silently moved to follow him, eyeing the empty hallway lit by bright, artificial lights. Satisfied that there was no one behind them, the brunette turned away and made to catch up to the man getting too far ahead of him.

--_**With Itachi**_—

Running away had been a little more of a challenge than he'd previously thought it would be since the guys following him were probably wrestlers or track runners in their teens back when the system cared about their development. _Now if only they'd strived for desk jobs, because then there wouldn't so damn many!_ He thought with rare, heartfelt emotion as he prepared to skid to make a turn on one of the many floors he'd rushed past in the hopes of finding his younger brother before the thugs did.

_Please be there Sasuke, gods in heaven please let him be there._ Desperately sprinting up another flight of stairs as the came closer to the floor his only sibling was on, Itachi rounded a corner and did find someone. But it wasn't his brother. Instead it was a lazy looking man with his brunette hair up in a ponytail that stuck out like bunch of dried plants. Coming to a rushed stop, Itachi stared at the stranger with a bit of surprise. This was definitely and unforeseen complication on his part.

The two men stood in silent observation of each other, each with their normally stoic faces with traces of surprise. Only Itachi let the surprise change to worry and fear when he jumped at the sound of a slamming door below, shouts of anger and loud running footsteps signaling that the gangsters had somehow caught up to him. Ink black eyes darting to the source of the noise before coming back to the stranger standing in his way, he knew he had to make a choice. Somehow get past the man and keep going, or make his stand and probably die a meaningless death.

But before he could so much as move, the stranger made the choice for him by suddenly relaxing, somehow finding a reason to smirk in triumph. "So you're Itachi Uchiha huh? We've been wondering where you've been all these years."

He could only blink in surprise before it gave way to suspicion. Very few knew his name, much less his face to begin with. _So how did this guy know my name?_ Itachi thought as he spoke as tonelessly as humanly possible, moving to take a step backwards in case of an attack. "Okay. So you know my name. You like them?"

"Far from it. Name's Shikamaru Nara, FBI." The stranger said coolly, not even moving despite Itachi's small actions to run the other way. And right into angry thugs hoping to shoot him to death.

Itachi couldn't help but feel a slight chill travel up and down his spine. All the years he'd spent avoiding both the law and lawless were probably over. Narrowing his eyes more still, the older Uchiha tried to concoct a plan all the while thinking of why a federal agent was there. Only one thought went through his mind at this point. _The Feds? Well shit, now I'm screwed._

Setting his jaw and ignoring the urge to rush past the man, Itachi kept his voice steady as he spoke again. "You goin' to arrest me?"

"Nope."

_Huh?_ Confusion marred his smooth features as Itachi tried to comprehend the other man's odd response. "And why's that?"

Shikamaru only smirked knowingly in a way that only made Itachi even more confused than ever before. "Let's just say your brother's been doing more to find the real killers than you have."

"That's not what I've heard."

The federal agent merely let out a chuckle as he turned to open the door one of the many hallways to hold it open for them both to use. "Well then you didn't get the whole story now did you?"

Itachi looked even more suspicious of the brunette than he had a few moments prior to hearing the man's unusual answer. "How can I know that I can trust you?"

"You don't have much of a choice now do you?" Shikamaru inquired, indicating the loud shouts and footfalls from enraged gang members roaming the empty hospital stairs and hallways in search of their latest kill thrill. And so far, they weren't enjoying their luck.

Still hyped on adrenaline and on edge from nearly being shot full of holes, Itachi refused to think of the man before him as an ally to securing his innocence in the matter that'd plagued his mind for years. "Why should I believe what you say?"

Knowing better than to chuckle and smirk, the FBI agent instead took on a more serious expression, his bored tone lost in the currently grave circumstances. "I know the guys who've kept your brother, Sasuke, under their watchful eyes. And not to mention the fact that I was put in charge of the investigation when I was told he'd come back into public eye here in New York. Your brother's a pretty slippery guy, I'll tell ya that much."

"So? What? You're just going to tell me what my brother's been doing all these years while I was off elsewhere?" Itachi couldn't help but snap. He'd always been the most patient of the two brothers, but the fact that he was being constantly chased around was making him more nervous than he cared to be.

"Pretty much. I'd say his efforts in finding your parents' killers have been very crucial to my investigation. If not for him joining then leaving the White Vipers, and your disappearance, this case would've gone cold years ago."

Purely astonished by this piece of news, Itachi let his suspicion and fear of being arrested for something he didn't do give way to genuine shock at learning what his younger brother had done while in his absence. "He what?!"

"See? You don't know everything after all." the FBI agent smirked once more at the older man's expression before eyeing the empty space of the stairwell railing, making him finger the edge of the open door and retake his grim expression. "You comin' or do ya want to be shot?"

Itachi hesitated, eyes of ink black turning to the source of the constant yelling and running sounds from a few floors down. Sooner or later, the thugs would realize he'd kept going up and would be even angrier than ever. Seeing no other real choice, the older Uchiha quickly walked through the open doorway to take refuge in the empty hall with the Federal agent in tow, leaving the dimwitted grunts in the stairwells to rumble and curse to their last breath.

--_**With Naruto**_—

As Shikamaru was dealing with a reluctant Itachi, Kiba and Sasuke were having their little 'civil' chat and Kakashi was bringing his boyfriend (and Naruto's guardian by law) back to reality, the blonde cop couldn't help but feel a little strange, standing in front of an elevator that wasn't showing any signs of use whatsoever. So, it was out of complete boredom and nervousness of the uncanny silence of the hospital's sanitized hallways that Naruto decided to try and see what was going on. But leaving his post without a word was always considered irresponsible. He had to radio in first.

Putting the small device to his mouth and pressing down the button on the side to activate it, Naruto spoke almost cautiously into the tiny speaker. "Nara? This is Uzumaki calling in. What's your status?"

Almost immediately and the blonde's grateful relief, the FBI agent's lazy voice sounded off over the channel, making him thankful no one had died on him just yet. "_I read you Uzumaki. Things are pretty quiet on my end except we've got a new guest on our hands._"

_A new guest? What the hell!?_ Naruto thought, his fears arising again only for them to be fought down. He knew he had to stay calm. Keeping his voice as steady as possible, the blonde eventually asked. "What happened?"

"_Let's just say that he stirred things up downstairs and that I might need a little help over here at the stair entrances._" Shikamaru chuckled, not sounding all that concerned with maintaining their posts like they should.

Letting out a sigh of defeat, Naruto rolled his eyes before speaking again. "Fine, I'm on my way."

"_Roger that._" The man on the other end seeming to smirk in triumph before the line went dead, leaving the blonde in the eerie silence to stare at his walkie-talkie in utter confusion on what was really going on.

_What the hell is going on today? First Sasuke comes up with a wild-ass plan and takes Kiba with him. Then Kakashi disappears to track down Iruka but hasn't radioed in with us yet. And now we've got some new guy? Did I miss a 'Weird Day Avoidance' meeting or something?_ Pushing away the confusing jumble of thoughts, Naruto put his firearm back in its holster and his walkie-talkie back into its clip as he turned away and began to walk to Shikamaru's location. Or at least he would have if the light sounds of the elevator coming to life didn't alert him, making him come to a stop. Turning back around as quickly as humanly possibly, Naruto instantly let his right hand fall onto the cold leather that covered the butt of his gun. A sweat as cold as his gun threatened to start its way down his face, already beginning to soak his hands as he gripped the handle almost like a lifeline.

Looking up, Naruto saw that the metal box was still a little ways off from reaching his floor, giving him all the more reason to get his walkie-talkie off his belt and in front of his mouth so he could be heard properly.

"Shikamaru." He said, trying to keep his voice steady. It was rare to get into a firefight, especially if it was one against five. Naruto didn't exactly want to be alone for this.

The radio came to life with short-lived static before the FBI agent's lazy voice sounded off over the line. "_Huh? What is it?_"

"We might have a problem."

A surprised pause followed before the man on the other end answered in a more emotional manner. "_What? What's wrong?_"

"Someone's coming up the elevator." Naruto could see his hand was starting to shake. But only a little as Shikamaru came close to making him jump out of his skin when he practically yelled over the line.

"_Are you serious!?_"

Nervousness gave way to irritation, even as the blonde watched the light switch from one number to the next. "I'm starin' right at the flashin' numbers dammit! How could I not be serious?"

This sent both parties into a temporary silence, making Naruto wonder if the federal agent was speaking to the unknown member. It was after a few more seconds that the radio crackled to life again. "Do you need us to come?"

"Not sure yet." Naruto said truthfully. Another number was lit up, leaving only one left before the doors would open, and the blonde would probably be in for the fight of his life.

"Stay in touch." The lazy voice almost demanded. A silent command in the form of a simple sentence. A promise of sorts.

"I'll try." The blonde said before putting the device away and bringing his gun back out of its holster to point at the two metal doors. Unsure of what he might face, Naruto Uzumaki mentally prepared himself as he stood his ground just as the small light lit up the floor number, let out a sharp _bing_, and the sight of opening doors became all that Naruto could focus on.

Wow. Things have gotten really crazy since last chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed this one to the fullest. It might've taken me a while but be prepared for chapter 10! I'll try to write it faster this time though… since you guys were forced to wait for so goddamn long. Anyway, here's what's to come!

Next chapter:

Chapter 10: End Of Suffering

As seen so far, Itachi finally joins the group to keep the enemy guessing but still have everybody else in the dark. Why did he run when he found out his parents were dead and left Sasuke by himself to his own devices? Is Itachi holding back a valuable piece of information vital to solving the Uchiha Couple murder? And what happened to Kakashi and Iruka? What exactly happened between Iruka and Mizuki that's left our favorite brunette so traumatized? Will Kiba be able to keep Sasuke from doing something crazy in time to save them all from certain death? Find out on the next all new chapter of '_Drifting No More_' with the debut of:

_**Chapter 10: End Of Suffering!!**_


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